English W318 Online

Reference Guide

What’s Where:

Generally speaking, the interactive elements of the course, including course e-mail, quizzes, and discussion forum postings, take place within the Oncourse environment ( Course documents, including the syllabus, assignment guidelines, weekly assignment sheets, and handouts, are available online at . For your convenience, you may save this page in your browser’s “favorites” folder, though it is also linked to our Oncourse section (“course website” link on left).

< To save to your “favorites” folder in Microsoft Internet Explorer, open the webpage in your browser by entering the web address. Once there, click “favorites” on the top menu, then “add to favorites.” You may create a new folder if you wish. >

What’s What:

Weekly Assignment Sheets – These are linked to the “Assignments” page, and should be read carefully each week. Weekly assignment sheets provide information about reading selections, discussion forum topics, and current deadlines. Access them via via the assignments link on the web page. You may work ahead of posted deadlines, but should not fall behind them.

Reading Assignments are made from our text, Writing for Multimedia and the Web, and from articles or handouts linked to the class website. More information about the texts is available on the “Syllabus” link of the course website. Reading assignments for each week are listed on the weekly assignment sheets (see above). You will take several quizzes over the reading material throughout the semester, which may be accessed via Oncourse tests and surveys. All quizzes are available from the beginning of the semester, but they are not available after their deadline dates.

Blog Entries are designed to help you learn more effectively from your thoughts and reflections throughout the semester. You may be creative and informal, and should develop a sense of personality, or voice. You should compose a few extra entries during the semester in addition to the required weekly posts. Your first blog entry is due week three, and you should visit this guide to creating weblogs if you are not familiar with creating blogs.

Second Life is an online virtual community. You can create a free account at We will use this environment in several ways this semester, and I encourage you to experiment with it on your own, as well. Corporate and educational uses of Second Life abound and are continually expanding.

Discussion Forum Posts – Each week of the course (exceptions are noted on the weekly assignment sheets), you are required to submit a reflection or response to the topic or question listed on your weekly assignment sheet. Remember that discussion forum responses should be thoughtful and insightful.They do not have to be written formally, but should be edited well enough to be easily comprehendible. A basic guide is around150 - 200 words. You are also required to respond to at least one other person's post.You are welcome to ask questions of your own for your classmates to consider. Due to possible difficulties with connections and/or the Oncourse environment, I suggest typing your post in a word processing program first, and then copying (highlight the text and then press the Ctrl key and “c” simultaneously) and pasting (click on the folder icon with the “W,” and then press “ctrl” and “v” into the window that opens) it into Oncourse. This will also provide you with a backup should any information on the Oncourse servers be lost (which has happened, by the way!). Please note that posting toward the beginning of the week whenever possible will result in more satisfying conversations throughout the semester.

To post a discussion forum response: enter the Oncourse environment, click the “Forums” link, look for the relevant topic (ie. Week 02 or 03), click on the name of the discussion forum, type (or paste) a subject and a message in the spaces provided. When finished, scroll down and click “send.” Please read several of your groupmates’ posts each week, responding to at least one. >

Projects – You will have access to an assignment sheet for each project. Links to these sheets are located above the weekly assignment links on the assignment page of the course website.

Outside Resources – Although I am always willing to answer questions, online classes typically reduce direct student/instructor interaction. Keep in mind that many other resources are available to you, including:

  • Read the textbook and the assignment pages carefully before you begin your project and as you work
  • Think carefully about the approach you will take and the ideas you will focus upon
  • Use planning guides, such as idea mapping, clustering, brainstorming, site mapping, and wire-frame construction to help develop and organize your ideas
  • Take advantage of the suggested campus and/oronline resources – and attempt to find your own
  • Make sure your accompanying materials (textual explications and analysis) are thorough, completed, and developed throughout the project – not just at the end

Closing Thoughts – Although this is a writing course, it’s important in the context of communication today that you become more and more aware of how visual elements help develop, reflect and convey your thoughts and ideas. I do not expect you to be computer whizzes either before or after taking this class. Though this class gives a brief glimpse of the kinds of writing and multimedia environments that are available on the web, I hope you will continue to explore others while using the skills you develop during the semester.

If you have a question or concern not addressed by this handout, please don’t hesitate to contact me via Oncourse mail (best method), my IUPUI e-mail address, , or by calling my office at 278-8580 (you can leave a voicemail if I’m not available).