Homework 1: Affordances & Signifiers¶

Due Date¶

This assignment has three parts, each with their own due dates:

Part	Due Date	Where
1 - Draft	FRI 2020-09-04 @ 11:55 PM	eLW
2 - Peer Review	FRI 2020-09-11 @ 11:55 PM	eLW
3 - Final Draft	FRI 2020-09-18 @ 11:55 PM	eLC

Instructions¶

Getting Started¶

As a UGA student, you should be familiar with applications like eLC and Athena. Select an interface from one specific piece of one of those applications that you believe could be improved.

Note

For the purposes of this assignment, Single Sign On (SSO) is NOT to be considered part of these applications.

Draft¶

Create a new, private document on eLW for this assignment:
eLW Instructions
1. Access CSCI 4800/6800 on eLW, then click Documents near the top of the page. You should now be on the “My Docs” page.
2. On the “My Docs” page, click New Doc on the second row of buttons / links that appears near the top of the page.
3. Please use the following settings:
  - Title: Homework 1
  - Project: HW1
  - Stage: Draft
4. Before you continue, click Save.
5. Once the page reloads, click Make Private.
Respond to each of the following prompts. You may not exceed 2 pages per prompt (excluding references). All references should appear in a section titled “References” that appears on a new page after your last response. In-text citations and reference entries should be properly formatted according to the ACM style.

Prompt 1: The Interface

Briefly introduce your choice of interface (i.e., one specific piece of either eLC or Athena, except for SSO), then try to fully describe the interface in terms of its affordances and signifiers.

The specific format for this is left to you. We do ask that you relate affordances and signifiers when possible; however, that may not always be possible – when that happens, it may provide you something to write about in response to Prompt 2.

Prompt 2: Conceptual Model and Improvements

The interface you chose is part of a system. Briefly describe your conceptual model for that part of the related system, then outline aspects of the interface itself that you think can or should be improved and why. When you defend your choices, please incorporate your affordances, signifiers, and conceptual model.

This prompt is NOT asking for you to describe how to improve the interface; however, some may be able to infer that from what you write. Instead, the prompt is asking you where improvements can be made and why.

Warning

Remember to save your work often!
On MON 09-07, make your document public in eLW.
- Dr. Cotterell will remind you, if you forget.

Peer Review¶

On eLW, you need to perform two peer reviews before the Peer Review deadline.
eLW Instructions
1. Access CSCI 4800/6800 on eLW, then click Documents near the top of the page. You should now be on the “My Docs” page.
2. On the “My Docs” page, click Shared Docs on the second row of buttons / links that appears near the top of the page.
3. Find someone that is listed as having less than 2 reviews, then click on their document title.
4. On the page for a student’s document, click New Review near the top of the page. You should now be in a copy of the document with a different title (e.g., for AUTHOR NAME) and the ability to insert notes and add feedback.
Peer Review Instructions
1. Read the student’s document.
2. For each prompt, provide a note with feedback for the student that includes, at a minimum, two three suggestions that you think might make their responses better. Be sure to explain why.
3. It’s okay to agree and disagree, so long as we’re all polite. Add a third note that outlines the aspects of the student’s responses that you agree and/or disagree with.
4. Be sure to save your review before the Peer Review Deadline, and note the name of the student you peer reviewed for your records.

Final Draft¶

After the Peer Review Deadline, update your document based on the peer reviews you received from others.
Add a section below your references titled “My Peer Reviews” that lists the names of the two students you provided peer reviews to.
Before the Final Draft Deadline, save your document as a PDF, then upload it on eLC under the assignment titled “Homework 1: Final Draft”.

Grading¶

Item	Points	Assessment	Some Criteria (not all)
Draft	60%	Pass / Fail	Submit draft on eLW before “Draft” deadline.
Peer Review	20%	Pass / Fail	Complete two peer reviews before “Peer Review” deadline.
Final Draft	20%	Rubric	Submit final draft on eLC before “Final Draft” deadline.

Final Draft Rubric¶

The final draft of your Homework 1 submissision will be graded on a 20-point scale that coincides with a rubric designed to mirror the prompts. Be sure to address every aspect of a prompt.