Teaching Courses in Writing Hypertext

observation

evaluation

Observation

Writing Hypertext, Fall 1998

Emphasis is hands-on workshop; little theory.
Proposed projects include poetry, fiction, academic inquiry, and public school ezine.
Students do weekly field work and presentations of Web sites and/or Web texts that inform their proposed projects.
Varying project goals allow for broad discussion of problems/philosophies of navigation and mapping as well as issues of audience and purpose.
Students are asked to create "native hypertexts"; only one finished piece strictly meets that criteria.
Metatext about decision making process proves essential to evaluation.
Students struggle with basic subject issues as well as technical/technological issues.

Professional Writing Spring 1999, 2000

Students are required to create an informational site for a professional audience of their choosing.
While varying projects allow for discussion of navigation and mapping strategies, the goal is always to make information access absolutely clear.
Question of "native hypertext" isn't raised because of the different goals and focus.
First offering of course focuses on case studies/issues of professional writing and the Web; projects include an informational site and Web résumés.
Second offering of course focuses on information architecture, technical skills/production issues, design, content, usability testing, workshop, multiple revisions.
As in the Hypertext course, students struggle with subject matter and technical/technological issues.

Department / University

First two of three sections above co-taught by Michael Keller and Elizabeth Cooper. Spring 2000 section is taught Elizabeth Cooper with in-class support by Michael Keller and Cheryl Ball.
Although students in these courses benefit from the added support of a co-instructor, co-teaching is seen as too expensive to the department.
Former Hypertext Writing student Cheryl Ball proposes to the university and department the first electronic thesis with hypertextual menuing elements; not pure native hypertext.
Faculty have some confusion over the differences between a flat text ETD and a media/hypertext document.
Questions of faculty expertise are raised; questions arise about the department's ability to teach mastery of electronic media / hypertext forms.
University supports move to electronic thesis and dissertation format.
All incoming freshmen and transfer students must own a computer by the fall of 2001.