Weekly Report 11

Alicia and I met Friday and Monday. We worked on some final touches for level 2, things we realized we needed to change, as well as level 3. A lot of the level 3 work was filling in buttons, images, videos, etc. It was time consuming and somewhat challenging, making sure that we got everything just right. We also discussed some future design ideas for layouts, as well as plans for how we will conduct the summer semester.

Weekly Report 10

This week Alicia and I met on Friday for approximately 3 hours, and we are planning to meet again Monday for the same amount of time. We went over research, how it’s going and what we still need to do. We briefly discussed the critique, but the majority of our time was spent working on level 2. We looked over the latest draft, discussing issues like legends, behind the scenes and journals, etc. Among other things we decided that midway through the main 3 sections there should be a prompt, asking students whether they want a second example, or if they want to proceed on to the next phase of the section. We also briefly discussed binder assembly and level 3.
Monday we’re going to examine the revised level 2, hopefully for the last time, create a template for our level 3, and begin filling out level 3s for our slides. Hopefully we will have a few example level 3s to show Dr. Abed Tuesday.

Weekly Report 9

This week Alicia and I worked on revising the design plan, writing our critique, and adding audio to the animation logo. Friday we met in person to look these things over and make decisions about what revisions, if necessary were necessary, and in the case of the animation logo, which version to choose as our final version.
The design plan occupied the majority of our meeting time. We revised sections based on Dr. Abed’s comments, balancing and blending his ideas with our own, and updated other sections as necessary to ensure that the document as a whole was consistent.
At the end of the meeting we decided that we were both tired and not at our best, so we decided to read over the latest incarnations of the design plan and critique over the weekend, to make sure that we did not notice anything with fresh eyes that we missed today. The animation logo is done, if Dr. Abed approves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKGlYGSIOaA

Weekly Report 8

This week Alicia researched the three laws while I worked on our animation logo. Sunday we met online and discussed the current drafts of the logo and decided on a version. Then I told Alicia what I was still going to add/change about the logo animation. After that we reviewed what we still need to do for EDT 521 and discussed how we will segment and assign components in the summer.

Weekly Report 7

This week Alicia and I met for a three hour session on Friday. We worked on our Design Plan, revising Media Strategies, and creating CBI, Treatment and Interface sections. In the process we also revised our overall outline and plan for the project. When we were done we both felt very good about our outline and our project. I think we feel far more comfortable with the project as a whole, and our ability to complete it, because now we have outlines and blueprints that we feel confident about.
We also once again confirmed we can work together, and achieve very good results. As with any team, we bounce ideas off each other, take turns playing the role of brainstormer and critique, but there is also a natural back and forth between our natures. Alicia is an educator, while I am more of an entertainer. I think that contrast creates a very strong balance between the two purposes.
We’ve settled on having at least two characters, using a museum interface, and having a series of buttons and diagrams along the bottom of most pages, offering navigation and a general outline of where the audience is within a section. We also regularly stumbled upon random jokes and funny mistakes, which were hilarious.

Weekly Report 6

This week Alicia and I divvied up sections of the design plan and worked on our sections. Sunday we met on Aim and used Google Docs to combine and revise the sections we had written. We also discussed possible company titles and logo animations. We have decided to go with Harvest Productions, and create a logo of leaves falling from a tree to spell the company name. I’ve since started creating still pieces for the animation; a tree trunk, branches, bunches of leaves to go on the branches.
On Tuesday I’m going to give her a copy of the example Design Plan I have, and she is going to let me know what pages in the curriculum materials she loaned me are relevant to our project.

Weekly Report 5

This week Alicia and I met online again to discuss and develop our ideas. We discussed the Design Plan, how we will segment it so that we can each work on our own sections separately and then read over each other’s work and incorporate them. She is working on the audience analysis, which makes sense because she is around the target audience more and has access to more information as an employee of the school. We initially considered starting to work on the other sections but decided to hold off until Tuesday’s class. It’s an interesting back and forth between Alicia and myself. My natural instinct is to start working on something ahead of schedule, and stay ahead, so that there’s a buffer if something becomes delayed. Alicia’s natural style is to wait and make sure we have all the information we need, so that we don’t end up doing the same work twice.
We discussed the logo animation quite a bit. We both put ideas on the table, and we both rejected most of them; some because they were not feasible with our current skill levels, and some because they did not have a strong connection with computer software and/or instruction/education. I’m going to actually create the animation, but we’re both going to be involved in deciding what it is. I think the logo will be one of the most challenging elements.
While we were discussing ideas for the animation I felt very frustrated that I don’t know more. I have some programs of my own that would be very helpful in this task, but I haven’t had time to learn them yet.

Weekly Report 4

This week we tried meeting online, via AIM, as a method of working together on the Instructional Problem Statement. In theory one of us probably could have done it on our own, but I think it was helpful to try that method. It was very interesting. I don’t know how Alicia found it, but I thought it worked rather well. When we are using that method we can both choose a location and background situation that best suites us, whether that is having music playing, a TV on, or absolutely no sound whatsoever. Collaborating via an im system also has the advantage of being possible regardless of physical distance, so we could easily go on vacation but still work on the project together.

I think the only real weakness is that when I am working on an idea, Alicia can’t see what my idea is until it’s complete and I send it in a text message. Therefore there are long periods of silence while one of us is developing an idea, or the other is examining it after it has been sent as a message. In many ways I definitely agree that in person is superior, but when in person is not an option or is inconvenient, this works. I think it’s a good idea to experiment and try different methods of communicating and handling aspects of the project now, in the early phases, so that we can work out the kinks and know what works when things become more hectic. We don’t need all our documents to also be on a wiki, or as google docs, but I figure “why not”.

Weekly Report 3

This week we finalized the proposal and the omelet exercise. We chose to separate the work, Alicia would work on the proposal, while I worked on the omelet diagram. So far that has been the common method, separate the work into independent processes that we can each do on our own. It’s working out rather nicely, but I wonder if it will still be possible to divide the work in this method once the main project begins, and each process is intended to function like a puzzle piece, fitting in with the rest.

When I created the level 2 omelet diagram I intentionally made it larger than it needed to be, as practice for later. This one could have been made as a single column of sheets, but the final project will be too large. I think the best method is to try and divide the diagram into a series of columns of 8.5x11 sheets, and establish those columns as early as possible. That way you only have to align one page to the left or right of the main page, and then the rest are aligned from top to bottom. When pages are aligned top to bottom the PowerPoint Outline Sidebar almost simulates the diagram.

I also really like the idea of placing small geometric shapes with numbers inside them along the edges of slides. I chose to place them as mirror images of each other along the edge, the 5 triangle on the bottom of one page would also be on the top of another. Setting that up can be a little time consuming, but once it’s done that makes laying out the pages so much easier than a simple page numbering system.

Weekly Report 2

This week we both have wikispace pages up with contact info. During class we made a rough outline of the project; an introduction and 3 main sections, each with the same list of about a dozen specific topics and areas to cover. I think that kind of uniformity would help students feel like they know where they are in the program at any time, and how much is left in a given section. We’ve started working on the proposal.

Slowly but surely we’re fleshing out what this project is going to be. We know the central topics, and we have some general ideas about how each section will be segmented, but our ideas are still a bit vague and untested.

Alicia works fast. I emailed her to discuss developing the proposal via email, im, or phone, and she replied that she had already created a rough draft; leaving me wondering if I’m doing enough. I’m surprised she didn’t want to be the project manager, she seems to naturally take charge.

Weekly Report 1

Beginnings are often difficult times, but this one is going pretty well. Using past classes as models we decided to create a wikispace, to post our project planning and documents to, we know what our topic is, so far so good.
Unfortunately Friday I started getting a cold, but I am hopeful that I will get through it by Monday.
Alicia and I have been in touch. She's researching our topic online.
It was interesting. As Dr. Abed talked about the project my mind started lighting up. I remembered bits and pieces of the program that echoed what he was saying; Making it Happen, Wikispaces, etc.
Overall, there isn't that much to do yet. But I imagine that will change soon enough.