Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Completion of the project
Some clean-up has been going on since the launch. One final session is expected to make minor tweaks and to add Toua's behind-the-scenes-video.
The biggest lessons I learned were to better control file management and template files creation. Templates must be created far earlier in the semester and have a thorough quality review and testing before they are given to other teams. At that point no changes to the editable region structure can occur. Only changes to locked template content can be changed once templates are distributed.
The file structure for each team's section must also be established before they begin work. Each team should be given a project folder containing an images folder with template graphics. Within this folder should be a folder for that section's graphics and all section graphics should go in this folder. The templates folder should also be included. A third folder should also be included that is for all content pages created by the section team. The root of the project folder would look like:
- images/sectionname [folder/folder]
- sectionname [folder - i.e. theatre]
- templates [folder containing content template files]
- copying the image's sectionname folder into the main site images folder
- copying the sectionname folder into the root of the main site
The above procedure should make the consolidating of the files from all teams work more smoothly. Less clean up would be required.
Finally, the students learned that they should have begun serious work on the site earlier in the semester. Though they were introduced to the project early in the semester many did not begin serious work until a few weeks before it was due. In some cases, those researching and prepping content started late which snowballed until those creating the pages were scrambling the last few days to get pages done. Additionally, some of the videos could have been created earlier eliminating another last minute element for some teams.
I think many of the students underestimated the amount of work needed to complete their sections. While the need to start work on the project early and interim deadlines were made known to the students, many did not appreciate their importance and had to learn this lesson through experience. Interestingly, at the end, many did acknowledge the need to begin work earlier and the value of not waiting until the last minute.
Since the student's lateness in completing work eliminated the testing phase of the project, fixing problems and making the site work fell on me and my teaching assistant. Since this was the first time for this class project I had expected there would be some problems. However, in the future I want to reduce the clean-up needed, hopefully by the tightening of the template and file management procedures. I will also work on earlier deadlines and forcing inclusion of time for review and testing the site before it's launched.
There needs to be time for me to go over the student's pages and give them feedback that will result in revising their work before it is turned in for consolidating into the site. Once the sections have ben consolidated into the main site, there needs to be a few days of testing, where each student thoroughly goes through the site and notes any problems to be fixed. Fixes will then be made and then the site will be launched in time for the final. The above suggests at least a three week period, which means student work needs to be ready for my review three weeks before the last class period.
Creationof the Tower Reflections Web site was a major undertaking. And since it was our first attempt at a Web documentary mistakes and problems were expected. Everyone involved, including myself, learned from this experience. I look forward to next year's class and refining the Web documentary process further.
