[Web4lib] Looking for projects for students - Web Site Redesign/Design (Small Scale Projects - Non-Profits)

[Cloutman, David]

The idea of developing for a client, is a good one, and when I taught a
similar class a few years ago, I tried the same approach, with a
significant exception. Specifically, I told my students that if they had
never built a Web site before the they should _not_ solicit a client for
their first go around. Instead, I had them invent a client. My reason
for this was simple. Most people, when they build their first Web site
don't do that good of a job. My feeling is that class projects such as
this, are best treated as learning tools. This allows them to make
mistakes, and receive critiques from the instructor, and work without
the additional pressure of having to satisfy a client as well. I think
as a follow up, a for-credit project with a live client over the course
of a full semester would be a great opportunity for students having
completed the introductory course, giving them an opportunity to focus
on planning, design, and development processes in their project. What I
found is that usually students are still struggling with closing their
tags, matching their quotes, and mastering the syntax of the client-side
stack at the end of the first semester, and that throwing a client into
the mix, particularly in a summer session, will do both the student and
the client a disservice.

- David

---
David Cloutman <dcloutman at co.marin.ca.us>
Electronic Services Librarian
Marin County Free Library 

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Diane K. Kovacs
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 8:31 AM
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Subject: [Web4lib] Looking for projects for students - Web Site
Redesign/Design (Small Scale Projects - Non-Profits)


Dear Colleagues,

I'm teaching two sections of LIS590LWL Web Design and Construction 
for Organizations - an introduction to Web Design, XHTML, CSS etc. 
for UIUC LEEP again this summer.

I require each student to work with a 'client' to redesign an 
existing Web site for a non-profit organization, preferably a 
special, academic, school, or public library, or library 
organization.  The course begins June 14 and ends August 6, 2009.

These are Library School students working through Distance Learning 
who are just beginning with Web Design, XHTML etc.  What we are 
looking for is small scale redesign projects, e.g., one area of a 
larger site - or a new design for a special patron group.   I cannot 
guarantee that any of my students will choose your projects. Also, 
some larger scale projects, the students may form teams to work on 
them.  Students may also choose the library they currently work in or 
a non-profit organization known to them to work with. So, if you 
would like to be on the list of projects for my students to consider 
please email me with the following information:

1. Contact person with email and telephone numbers (this would be the 
'client' that students are expected to interview and interact with 
cooperatively to come up with design options)
2. The URL of the current Web site (if there is one - otherwise URL 
of the overall site associated with your organization)
3. Brief description of what you would like to have done with the site.

I will respond to you whether your project fits our scope in terms of 
time and expertise of students and verify you want to be on the list.

Thank you!
Diane
-- 
Diane K. Kovacs, Web Teacher - http://kovacs.com
  -Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 1: XHTML and CSS 
(beginners) - http://kovacs.com/wd1.html 15 CE from the MLA
-Web Design & Construction for Libraries Part 2: CSS and Javascript 
(intermediate) -  http://kovacs.com/wd2.html
-Instructional Design for Online Teaching and Learning - 
http://www.kovacs.com/idcourse.html  15 CE from the MLA
-Implementing Online Teaching and Learning: Using Moodle and Other 
Web 2.0 Features - http://www.kovacs.com/moodlecourse.html  15 CE 
from the MLA
diane at kovacs.com or diane.kovacs at gmail.com (Gtalk or e-mail) AIM & 
Yahoo:  SaintsMrsDi - MSN - diane at kovacs.com  Di Wind in Second Life


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