iwishihadadog

2006-05-03T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here goes nothing...

So after spending copious amounts of time working on all things web design over the past few days, I can confidently say that I think I'm done (or mostly done...for now at least...). That said, I can't help but continually rethink my site. Did I design a layout that is conducive to presenting the information while being aesthetically appealing? Have I relied too much on text? I am, after all, offering a website that compiles data and research for students, so most of my work needs to be test form, but is there a way I could have balanced it differently? I know that the instructional design theory that we've learned about has influenced my final project and I'm confident that the fact I'm unsure about the final product is only because I'm so invested in the site itself which is ultimately a good sign. That said, I guess I just need to hope for the best. Take this as a "here goes nothing" kind of moment and leave my fate in Jim's hands.

So with that, here goes nothing. The ride was fun and it's far from over!

2006-05-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Last minute things...

So I've been working on my final project--as I assume most of us are--and I'm realizing that my plans for the big hoorah might have been a little too ambitious. I mean, I've pointed out several times how impressed I am by the amount of things that we've learned to do throughout this class, and I know that Jim has reminded us about the time each of these skills might require, but as I'm finishing my final flowchart I realize that my page has become this giant web of ideas that may or may not be actualized. Maybe that's the point. If this class is intended to be a springboard for side projects into the future then I'm golden. On the other hand, if the course objective is to compile a complete and interactive site by the end of the term, I'm not sure I'm down. There are just a world of possibilities and I'm well aware of the fact that that sounds cliche, but in this case I think it's totally true.

So that said, I'm going to go back to my flowchart, play around a little more and then move on. I know that I've learned a lot in this class (which is great since many of the jobs that I'm applying to require knowledge of html and webdesign and I feel confident saying that I do) and I know that my final project will contribute to the overall experience for my audience. That in and of itself is success. From there, it's all icing. Right? We'll see...

2006-04-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Side projects...

Okay, so by now you all know that I'm feeling much more confident about the skills I've developed in this class than I ever thought possible--if you're not aware of that, keep reading...I'm thrilled. Anyway, I think I mentioned in an earlier post how I've become the resident web guru at the NYU College Learning Center. As a result of much bureaucracy and slo-o-o-w motion in the Center, I've been awarded the responsibility of maintaining the online schedule system. Well from the time I started this project until now I've played around with the schedules, trying new things and practicing little tricks. Initially the schedule was just copied and pasted from the word format that we use for the hard copy schedules, tweaked a little, and uploaded to the web. Piece of cake. Then I realized that I could create a table and have the students select a subject and the subject link would directly lead them to that academic subject's available tutoring schedule. Well today, I was creating the finals week schedule and I realized that I didn't have time to revise each subject's page individually (it took forever last time), so instead I created anchor links that students can click on at the top of the page to be taken directly to the subject that they're interested in. It seems simple, but it's so much more user-friendly than the plain schedule list, and so much more designer-friendly than creating the individual pages for each topic. I was tickled with my discovery.

So why am I telling you this? I think it's just another example of how we can apply what we're learning in class. I've commented on some of my classmates blogs about how this course has instilled in us the confidence to play around and try new things, and I feel that my latest mini-accomplishment proves just that. It's very exciting if you ask me.

Oh, and by the way, I went to an NYU website today and paid attention to the buttons/links. It was crazy when I caught myself analyzing the way the page moved and figuring out how the style was created to make the images appear the way they did. At the risk of sounding like a big nerd, I was totally into it. Who'd have guessed?!

2006-04-26T13:09:00.000-07:00

All the little pieces...

So, I've spent some time today reading everyone's blogs and it seems like we're all finally in a very similar place--things are coming together. I'm very proud of the achievements that I've made so far in this class. I'm sure I've said this before, but I never thought I'd be able to create a website, publish it online, and be able to edit and improve it with ease before this semester. The concept of the internet, though very appealing from a user-perspective, always seemed to be this obtuse, intangible thing. All of a sudden though, I understand (at least basically) how things work and I'm confident that I can contribute to my profession with the skills that I've attained through this course.

That said, as I'm working on my final project, I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by what I'm doing. I've (happily) created, adjusted, and attached my very own--with some help from two little boxes--css style sheet that I feel works for my site. I've written a design document, drawn a flow chart and worked with my storyboard. I've researched design information and content information (I had totally forgot that I'd need to research the content for the site until just recently...it adds a whole new dimension of work to the project) and I feel that overall, I've made some strong progress. That said, I still have a TON of work to do. I know that Jim's said that our final site doesn't need to be a FINAL final site. As with most sites, it's a work in progress. But with the things that we've discussed, I feel like I need to incorporate so many interactive ideas into the work that I don't actually see an end in sight. For instance, right now I have 8 wikis attached to the site that function as my message boards. The good news is they're attached. The bad news is they're not pretty. So now, not only do I want to make sure I include good design and informative content on my site, I feel I need to improve the appearance of the external components as well. It's a situation where I'm not sure when good enough is good enough--and for a girl that's graduating in not so many days, I've got to figure it out sooner than later.

Anyway, I just needed to get that out. Hopefully after class today I'll have a better sense of what NEEDS to be done and what I can continue to tweak long after the semester comes to a close...

2006-04-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Quick Question about Forms...

Okay, so after this week's class (and some playing around), I've created and linked a form for my final project to my website. That said, at the end of last week's class, Jim was talking about linking your form to a database so as to collect the information that you're soliciting from your users. Now it only makes sense that this is something we'd want to do, considering that the only reason to ask someone to fill out a form is to use the information they provide for something--unless you just like to make people fill out useless data, in which case, you're in business! So anyway, I'm wondering how we actually do that. Should we know already or will we cover this more later? I'm just throwing this out there and if anyone has any ideas, I'd love for you to share them. Also, since my form isn't currently connected to any database, where exactly does the information that you submit go? Hmm...

2006-04-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

And all of a sudden, it's come together...

Over the course of the semester I've posted about how I thought I was understanding things in class and how frustrated I was when I realized that in the comfort of my own home/office/futon I couldn't for the life of me make what I thought I'd learned work. Well, within the past two weeks, something has clicked. All of a sudden my mental block has evaporated. I see clearly, I link style sheets with ease, and I've been able to apply what I've learned at my job. Can you believe it? I'm actually the resident web design expert at my internship (okay, not Study Abroad...we've got professionals over there, but at the College Learning Center). I realize that it might sound crazy--I've been enrolled in a web design class for what, 9 weeks now and I'm the resident expert? Well let me tell you, when you have a staff of 3 and two of them don't know the first thing about creating a webpage, you're in business! So, I took it upon myself to create some (simple) style sheets and post the tutoring schedule at the CLC online for all students to access. This online posting had originally been done by someone in the advising center (and we hadn't had access to our own website...ahhh the bureaucracy...) but since his departure, we've finangled our way to the World Wide Web. Anyway, enough back story, as of Friday, March 31 (I'll document it because it's quite a momentous occasion) I have created my first functional website for all the world to view. I am especially proud because, not only is this one actual and useful, but I used a lot of the skills that we've discussed in class. In addition to using style sheets, I created a table, linked several different pages within the site, and manipulated the links so that they would appear on the actual CAS Learning Center site (while we've managed to get our hands on the schedule sites, we can't actually make any changes on the main CLC site. Baby steps people, baby steps.) To top it off, as I was creating the site, I was considering many of the cognitive load theories that we've discussed in class. I realized how important it was to make the site dynamic by allowing students to select a specific topic rather than only allowing them to view the entire schedule. I created a table because it allowed the information to be orderly, and I relied on style sheets to make the pages consistent.

In my excitement to create the page, there are some things that I overlooked and that I'll have to go back and improve. For example, I didn't create a link back to the index page from each of the subject specific pages and as a result, the user has to rely on the browser's navigational tools rather than internal links. Additionally, I hadn't taken into account the way that different browsers would present the information and, while I probably won't make any changes at this point in the game, it's interesting to see how different something as simple as a table appears in Firefox versus Internet Explorer (neither of which look like the Dreamweaver view).

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the practical application of the skills that I've developed so far. Don't get me wrong, the site that I've created for the CLC is super simple and could be taken much further, but the fact that I'm able to see what to do next, identify how to improve the work, and understand how and why what I do in Dreamweaver is represented online is very satisfying. Woo!

2006-03-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

So what will my final project be? I think I've figured it out!

As I mentioned (very briefly) in my last post, I have decided what I would like to dedicate my final project to--returning study abroad students at NYU. I currently work as a Study Abroad Coordinator at NYU's Office of Study Abroad Admissions and am confident that our office works diligently to ensure that students are prepared and informed about their study abroad options before they apply, are updated about their application status throughout their review process and receive the valuable information, tips, and updates about their pre-departure plans once they've been admitted. Yet, I feel that we can do a better job guiding our students back into life at NYU and in the US upon their return. Research shows that students continue through a U-curve upon returning home from a study abroad experience--they are excited to see their friends and family, to share their stories, and to live the "good life" of typically American comodities. That said, before long they bottom out and feel lonely, depressed, and/or out of place. At this point, it is important that these students find opportunities to engage in their community so that they don't become either a.) disillusioned with their life in the US or b.) disconnected from their international experiences. As a result, I propose creating a website that will act as a resource for NYU Study Abroad Returnees. My site will offer students a place where they can learn about the feelings that they're having and what research suggests they're going through. Additionally, it will provide them with information about international events on campus and in the City that they can become involved with. I will create a calendar that will post upcoming events and will offer suggestions for ways that the returnee students can become involved in the preparation process for new study abroad admitted students. Finally, I will dedicate a section of my website to work and experiences abroad so that students can research how they can become involved in the international community in the future.

My goal for the project is to create a website that offers a vast array of information to support returning study abroad students. I will include links to university resources like the Career Services Office, Global Education, Residence Education (and the international offerings that they post) and the Wellness Exchange. Furthermore, I will promote interaction amongst study abroad returnees by posting events on campus and in the City.

I will utilize CSS Style Sheets as well as images/flash that will add to the alure of my site and support the text. Additionally, I will try to incorporate the skills that we've discussed in class so as to make the site instructional as well as informational.

2006-03-07T21:02:00.001-08:00

CSS Style Sheets: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Okay, so in thinking about CSS style sheets, I thought it would be easiest for me to compile a list of things I know about them, and another list of things that I'm still confused about. Hopefully this will provide me with more clarity and Jim with some ideas about my progress. Here goes:

Things I know about CSS style sheets-
1. CSS style sheets are useful because, once linked to your webpages, they make each page appear consistent. This is especially important when you're working on a site with a million (or more) pages because hand coding them each would be exceptionally time consuming.
2. You create a CSS style sheet by selecting the rectangle with the plus in the corner of the CSS Style Sheets window and adding/changing the specifications there.
3. If you want to make a change to your CSS style sheet internally, you would mark "apply to this one page" (that's not really what it says, but you get my drift) on the first window that pops up after selecting the rectangle with the plus, and go from there.
4. If you want to make a change to your CSS style sheet externally (i.e. create a style sheet that you can link to other pages) you would save it as a certain .css document.

Things that I'm still confused about when it comes to CSS style sheets-
1. I still can't, for the life of me, make them link correctly. Jim, I know you've shown me, but I think repetition is key for me here.
2. I haven't been able to make a CSS style sheet that does what I want it to. I think I'm trying to make it fancier than we know how to make it, and if so I just need to hold on a sec, but if we should be able to make it do whatever we want, then I'm in trouble.

Here's what I propose:
1. I figure out what the heck I want my webpage to look like. I think once I have a better idea of what I'm doing, I'll be able to create a CSS style sheet that does what I want it to. Right now, I am the blind leading my blind self.
2. If it's possible, I think it would be extremely helpful to work on our CSS style sheets in a workshop type time during class. One of the things that I've noticed is that, so far, I watch Jim and Slava do their presentations, I understand it (or at least I think I do), I leave feeling confident that I finally know what's up, and I go home to find out that I have no idea how to recreate what they did. If we had a chance in class (and I know it would take up time, but I really think it would be useful) to work individually on a style sheet and ask Jim and/or Slava for help if we get stuck, I think it would open my eyes to a whole new world of web design.

On a happier note, I think I've decided what I want my site to be dedicated to: Students returning from study abroad & the resources that are available to them to aid in their "reverse culture shock"/re-acculturation issues. I need to compile information about resources at NYU and in NYC, but I am certain that they exist and I think it would be very useful for students who return to campus. Woo for brainstorming!

2006-02-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

No Readings?! What's a girl to do??

So I figured, "hey, no reading? why not post?," so here I am, watching American Idol (shh, don't tell) thinking about webdesign and hoping beyond hope that tomorrow in class everything will click. See, because up until now, I go to class, understand what Jim and Slava are saying and doing, go home feeling all confident that I can master .html and open dreamweaver to find that I really have no clue what I'm doing. Actually, let me amend that statement: I think I know what I'm doing, I try to do it, and I just flop. CSS Style Sheet? It's saved .css, doesn't that mean it's right? Apparently, no. So, here's where I'm saying, if anyone has any tips, hints, suggestions, and/or cheat sheets (for the most mundane and basic of things) I would just love it.

Thanks for listening, now back to Simon.

2006-02-21T21:12:00.000-08:00

Cognitive Overload & How to Avoid It

Mayer and Moreno's article, "Nine Ways to Reduce Cognitive Load in Multimedia Learning" was particularly interesting to me because of how it succinctly and effectively broke down several situations in which multimedia learning can be improved so as not to overwhelm the viewers cognitive load. Much of what was said in the article reinforced Slava's most recent lecture and I found that the information put forth in the article complimented what I took away from Slava's explanation. It seems to me that, if one is able to apply these scenarios to their design when creating their instructional materials, they'll be able to anticipate the needs of their viewers and put forth a design that is accessible, informative, and engaging.

While I appreciate the article and the insight that it provides, I can't help but wonder how a new web designer (like myself, for instance) learns to tweak their design so that it includes/avoids all of the pitfalls of cognitive load. I understand the importance of knowing your viewers and creating your design to support their background knowledge, viewing experience, and learning goals, but it seems overwhelming to know how to anticipate these design objectives from the beginning. Are there any hints as to what works best most generally? Is it fair to say that, so long as you don't cover up your image with text and aren't offering background music + voiceover + animations + text you are off to a good start? What makes instructional design, instructional design? These are some of the questions that I'm left wondering about after reading this article. Any suggestions, thoughts, or feedback would be greatly appreciated : )

(*Note: It is entirely possible that the questions that I'm not considering are only tangentially related--at best--to the cognitive considerations that Mayer and Moreno point out...I think I'm just beginning to figure out what I intend to do with my site and I'm anxious to apply what we're reading and discovering to my actual work*)

2006-02-21T20:39:00.000-08:00

Knowledge-Centered Environments: My Very Own Personal Bias

In reading "The Design of Learning Environments" article, I couldn't help but recognize how much my personal preference and bias aligns with the Knowledge-Centered environments over the others. As a student in higher education, I understand that this bias could be a negative influence in my work, but I maintain the importance of establishing a learning environment that enables students to learn new material in a context that will enable them to later transfer the knowledge in other situations. It is important that we, as educators, work to create and promote learning communities that foster effective and productive citizens (for lack of a better word), and it seems sensible to me to expect that this can be best accomplished when the students understand how what they've learned in the classroom applies to what they accomplish outside of the classroom.

2006-02-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

It's All About the Tradeoff

Reading Collins' article, "Design Issues for Learning Environments" I couldn't help but think about how teaching, design, and time management were related. Collins argues the importance of understanding the costs and benefits associated with design and with instruction. He believes that in order for something to be effectively instructive it needs to present information in a way that balances the pros and cons for all involved. Imagine this: you're working with a group of students who are trying to grasp a new concept for the first time. Five of the students are visual learners, two rely on memorization, and the other three appreciate practical application. If you need to teach them all the same topic at the same time, how do you go about presenting it? According to Collins, you need to figure out the method that best covers the needs of all 10 students. This method likely won't be ideal for anyone in the group, but it will be effective because it will combine the necessary ingredients for overall satisfaction. You know what I mean? We're balancing what we've got to create something that will work for the majority.

This example applies to design, too. When you're creating a new template for something, you need to be familiar with the purpose behind the creation (is it intended to be instructive? to sell something?) as well as with the backgrounds of the people you're creating it for. Once you familiarize yourself with this information, you need to identify the middle ground (the area/method that will appease the masses) and go for it. Do what you can with what you have so that the end result is beneficial for the majority.

In thinking about this tradeoff scenario, I can't help but think about time management as well. (If you don't see where I'm going with this, bear with me...I promise I'll try to explain). Since I haven't spent much time formally teaching anyone anything, and I'm new to this whole design concept, I tend to apply what I learn to what I know. As a graduate student in higher education, and as a compulsive organizer and volunteer, I know time management. So here's what I see: the tradeoffs Collins discusses in his article are like the tradeoffs you make when you realize that you've overcommitted on any given day or in any certain situation. What's important is that you assess what's necessary, you adjust for what you're actually able to do, and you work to accommodate yourself and your audience (or in my daily life, my students, my supervisors, and my peers) to the best of your ability. In learning about design and instruction (and in reviewing my day planner) I realize that this balance is invaluable.

2006-01-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

Technology: A Balance between Control & Convenience

Norman's article on technological design highlighted several interesting recommendations to take into consideration when developing and implementing new programs. Many of the components of useful design were relatively obvious: select a design that is intuitive, create visually appealing design, incorporate visual and audio components whenever possible to facilitate the use of the product. Norman explains that these elements of design are important because they enable the technology to be more user friendly. As the first computer manufactures experienced, no matter how advanced the technology may be, if it is difficult to understand and to apply, it will fail.

Norman continues, however, to point out another important element to consider when designing new technology--don't take control away from the user. I find this observation especially interesting. Here we are saying that we want technology that makes our lives easier, yet we don't want to relinquish control to the machine. I totally relate. We want to be sure that, while we appreciate the way that technology enables us to do our work faster, better, and more accurately, we want to know that we are in control of how it is produced. Don't surprise me by creating a machine that can be negatively altered (nevermind reset) with the simple push of a button. Don't let me think that I've saved something and then trash it as I close the program. Don't you dare let me feel like I've done exactly what the manual said but the program still didn't work. We want to feel that we are in control of the technology that we use everyday. Not only do we want to understand what we're doing (though we definitely don't feel the need to understand how it works necessarily), but we want to feel like we are in control of how it's done.

I find truth in the sentiment that good design enables the user to feel like they're in control of their actions and it's interesting to realize that, while we rely on technology so extensively in our daily lives, we really do want to feel like we are making the difference.

2006-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

Constructivism? Yeah, I've heard about it. Now I get it...

Constructivism has been one of those words that I hear tossed around that I kind of understand, but never really grasped. As a student of affairs administration, no one actually spends time explaining instructional techniques. Sure, we present at conferences, so I'm sure someone's mentioned the notion once or twice, but it's never a focus. The word's kind of like that lace doily on grandma's table--I've seen it, but I've never actually looked at it. As a graduate student, I have spent the majority of my time learning about student development theory, identity association, diversity training, and leadership theories. Administrative awareness is clearly more important than learning (please hear the sarcasm dripping from my words).

That said, after reading Mayer's article, Theories of Learning and Their Application to Technology, it was like a world of understanding opened up t0 me. I felt like interrupting the lovely, bald-headed gentleman sitting next to me on the train to tell him that I finally get it. While the article may have been fairly basic for someone with any background knowledge of instruction, for me it was eye-opening. I was (and am) very impressed and interested with the distinction between the cognitive activity that is associated with constructivist instruction and behavioral activity that seems so apparent in the classrooms that I've observed/participated in. Furthermore, the concept of transferrable knowledge seems so obvious, so reasonable, yet it's not something that I've considered extensively. Of course you would want your students to be able to apply what you've taught them to other scenarios. It only makes sense that you would encourage them to see how what they're learning will help them in the future. Yet, it seems to me that many times that is not the case.

I'm interested to see how what I've learned about constructivist instruction will influence my work in this course. Mayer's description of the pro's and con's of simultaneous presentation vs. successive presentation in technology fit the experiences that I've had when working online (I can't tell you how many times I've skipped a page just because there is way too much going on) and I am hopeful that I will be able to apply what we've read to the webpage that I create to make it useful. We'll see, I guess...for now, here's hoping I pull it off!

2006-01-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? I'm blogging. Here goes nothing...