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414 syllabus quick reference project instructor tutorial project documentation portfolio course resources




week 1 		top  
date class meeting for next class
r 1.15

introduce course and class members




week 2 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 1.20

email completed student information form before beginning of class

discuss course readings

in-class exercise on elements of technical documentation
r 1.22

submit technology checklist

introduce quick reference project

discuss audience issues for quick reference project

software selection and audience analysis workshop

technical documentation elements handout




week 3 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 1.27

review documentation memo component

in-class audience analysis day

r 1.29

documentation memo workshop

walk-through example of elements for quick reference card project

note examples of quick reference cards




week 4 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 2.3

documentation memo workshop, polishing and minor revisions

review your software/coding for quick reference project

sign-up for memo approval conferences

 
r 2.5

no formal class meeting -- memo approval conferences in ml 476




week 5 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 2.10

review design template and quick reference deliverable components

brief introduction to Microsoft Publisher with publisher exercise

discuss readings and page layout and design issues
  • if you do not have access to publisher, at least sketch out by hand your design template
  • work on design template & quick reference deliverable and bring drafts to class
  • power point about crap principles, example quick reference projects, and publisher documentation all available from ereserves
r 2.12 design template & quick reference deliverable workshop




week 6 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 2.17

design template & quick reference deliverable workshop

sign-up for design template & quick reference deliverable conferences
r 2.19 no formal class meeting -- design template & quick reference deliverable conferences




week 7 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 2.24

introduce instructor tutorial project

bid on clients

quick reference deliverable workshop
r 2.26

assign clients

review field research & documentation plan components

meet partner for instructor tutorial project

email of inquiry workshop

exchange electronic version of quick reference deliverable and email a response to your peer's work by noon on m, 3.1.




week 8 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 3.2

discuss readings on needs & documentation plan

interview questions workshop

r 3.4

no formal class meeting -- field research day

  • after interview, complete interview transcript and email attachment to me and partner
  • after interview transcript is complete, begin drafting your documentation plan (due on m, 3.29)




week 9 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 3.9

discuss documentation plan guide

documentation plan workshop

 
r 3.11 briefly discuss usability in preparation for task & schedule section of documentation plan

documentation plan workshop




week 10 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 3.16 no class -- spring break
r 3.18 no class -- spring break



week 11 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 3.23 peer review/final polishing of documentation plan
r 3.25 no class meeting -- project work day




week 12 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 3.30

introduce documentation portfolio project

review style guide, usability testing, deliverable, & thank you email components of instructor tutorial project

student-defined workshop day
(If waiting for client approval, work on style guide or portfolio project. If you have gained project approval, work on style guide or documentation).

r 4.1

discuss readings on style guides & usability

style guide & documentation workshop




week 13 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 4.6 style guide & documentation workshop
r 4.8

review usability testing

discuss readings on usability testing

style guide & documentation workshop




week 14 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 4.13 usability testing workshop

sign-up for documentation conferences
r 4.15 no formal class meeting -- user testing day or optional documentation conferences in ml 476




week 15 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 4.20 no formal class meeting -- user testing day or optional documentation conferences in ml 476
r 4.22 user-testing & documentation workshop




week 16 		top  
date class meeting for next class
t 4.27 user-testing, documentation, and thank you email workshop
r 4.29 documentation portfolio and thank you email workshop




week 17		 top  
date class meeting for next class
t 5.4

submit hard copies of your style guide, usability portfolio, and polished documentation at the beginning of class

submit end-of-course checklist

complete and send thank you email to client

complete course evaluations

sign-up for documentation portfolio conference



finals week top  
m 5.11 - w 5.13 documentation portfolio conferences in ml 476

bring your completed documentation portfolio to meeting		  



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text links for other syllabus pages: course syllabus | quick reference project | instructor tutorial project | documentation portfolio | course resources
last updated 2.24.4