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Assignments for the Short Projects Syllabus.doc
This page supplements the syllabus and the textbook by providing extra
information about each assignment. The descriptions below offer you tips
on how to succeed with each assignment.
Overview of the Assignments
The key to the first three of these assignments is the selection of the user. You
should be able to find users in your workplace, clubs, or volunteer
organizations. People in these situations often need highly focused
documentation that is more tailored to their specific activities than the
manuals and help that come with an application. In some instances, I will
supply you with sample programs or you can write about programs with which you
are familiar.
Each of the document assignments will require a documentation plan, a draft
with a cover sheet for review, a test and test report, and a final draft. I
will evaluate each of these assignments as you progress, assigning points to
your work as you go along. Each of the four major assignments must be
written about a different software program or Web application.
User's Guide
Write a 5-10 page procedures guide for a software user. I supply a
selection of programs for you to choose from; you will supply the user. The
user's guide will contain a cover page, table of contents, procedures, and an
index.
Tutorial
Write a 3-5 part lesson on the basics of a program for a beginning or
advanced user. You can pick a program that you are familiar with such as an
application in the Microsoft Office Suite and tailor the instruction to a user
in a workplace of your choice.
Help System
Write reference documentation consisting of 5-10 topics for a person needing
online documentation. I supply a selection of programs for you to choose from;
you will supply the user. This help system is not a web page but must be
either a compiled WinHelp program (.hpp) or a WinHTML program (.chm) or a help
program.
Homework
Do five short homework assignments.
Final
Write a critique of a manual and suggest revisions.
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