Wednesday, October 15, 2008

October 15th's assignment

After you get through writing your survey items, I have two activities for you to do. They will help you with the analysis of the survey results.

First, could you go to the link below and take the survey at:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pNQv91E3D3-TU1RMbAQAcBA

One is to create a Wordle visualization. A Wordle is a visualization of text, where the more frequently a word is used, the larger it is. Below you will find an example of the Finlandia University's Wikipedia text:



So the first activity is to:

1. Go to http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/app

2. Sign in

3. Find some text from a website or anything else you are interested in. A lot of people make visualizations of debate and speech texts.

4. Upload the data and create a wordle visualization.

5. If you are on a windows station, hit print screen and paste (ctrl-p) the visualization into the paint program and save it as a jpg or bmp or whatever and mail it to me. You can get rid of the rest of the screen, by cropping the picture as you want it, then copying and pasting that into a new paint window.

Once you finish that let me know and I will invite you to the example survey about foods that you just took at the beginning of class. Your task is to analyze that data and create a short power point presentation of the results. You might even try using one of the other Many Eyes visualizations if you are feeling adventurous.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

CPT202 wiki assignment - a class cookbook

The last few classes we worked on creating a Wikipedia entry for Finlandia University. Next, we are going to learn how to a wiki of your own design. Wiki's are great for projects that involve multiple people. I have used them to brainstorm ideas, to develop a group set of rules, of to do group classroom projects. They are really, really useful. To get some practice, and to do something useful, I thought that we might make a class cookbook this time.

I have started with the first recipe. You can view it by going to

http://cpt202.pbwiki.com/FrontPage

Your assignment is to create an account with pbwiki, log on to the page above, then add at least two of your favorite recipes to the cookbook. Try to find or create a picture for each recipe. Please don't write down a recipe that looks to scrumptious because I'm really hungry. I haven't had time for lunch yet today!

Justus

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Wikipedia assignment

Hi All,

For the next part of the course we are going to concentrate on Wikis, beginning with editing a Wikipedia entries. Being able to edit a Wikipedia entry helps you on your way from being consumers of information to producers of it!

This week we have an authentic assignment--to edit Finlandia University's Wikipedia entry.

To do that first read and get familiar with "how to edit a page," linked below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page

Then, try out your editing skills in the Wikipedia sandbox:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Sandbox

After you are comfortable with that, we will move onto editing the Finlandia University Wikipedia entry. Before that, Karen Johson, the Executive Director of Communications, will visit our class and give us suggestions on how she wants us to revamp the Finlandia University page.

This will be a group activity and graded as a group. I'll give you more details in class!