Personal Learning Project

Step 4. Working on the Project

As you work on the project, remember that librarians and many other professionals are willing to help you if you just ask.  Information below is directed to various technologies you might want to learn and use for your projects.

What is expected?

A product that captures what you have learned about the psychological topic you have investigated.  It can be in a number of different formats.  The project can be a paper, a videotape, a power point presentation or combination of media. 

Examples of Formats:

Project can be turned in on a pc formatted 3.5" disk, zip disk, or CD.  This includes papers, web sites, power point presentation, etc.

If you have published a web site on the internet, you can provide the URL of your web site.

You may print the project on paper.  This is easier for word processed and Power Point presentations than most other technologies.

If your project contains video or audio, you can turn in a videotape or audiotape.  

How long should the project be?

There is no length requirement, but I expect you to spend at least 20 hours on each project.   

Outstanding papers have been between 3 and 60 pages.  However, the shorter papers were part of projects that included video and/or art.

Outstanding power point presentations have been about 12 to 30 pages.  Length of outstanding web sites and videos have been highly variable also.  Again, shorter ones have tended to be part of a multiple format project.

I want to create a web site. Can you help me?

I can only help you a little.  There are three major issues, what software to use, where to put what you create, and getting help on things such as linking pages.

Software: 

PC users can use 

Your word processor and save as html format
Netscape Composer (an editor built into Netscape Navigator) - free
Frontpage or Dreamweaver -  outstanding editors, but somewhat expensive. 
Look for free or shareware editors at sites such as zdnet or cnet 

Mac users can use 

Your word processor and save as html format
Netscape Composer (an editor built into Netscape Navigator) - free
Dream Weaver is an outstanding editor, but somewhat expensive
Look for free or shareware editors at sites such as Tucows

Where to put it:

You have several options for web sites for this class:

create and use your web space at BSU
use space provided by some service such as ZDnet or Freeservers (or search for a service), or 
just save or publish your site on a disk (floppy, zip, or CD).  

Getting Help:

If you are publishing at BSU or another site, they provide help (see http://www.bsu.edu/web/frontpage/FrontPagePersonal/ ),

Use the help desk at BSU Helpdesk at 5-1517 or via e-mail at Helpdesk@bsu.edu

Netscape and Microsoft offer extensive online help

There are many helpful online sites for beginners , such as HTML Goodies (view in this window or view in new window)

I want to make a video. Can you help me?

There are many formats for video.  The most common today is VHS.  It is the type rented by most video stores.  You can create a video on video tape and mail it to me.  However, there are several digital video formats, including windows digital media format and Quicktime format.  These digital formats can be put on CDs or included in Power Point presentations or in web pages.  Usually, these are viewed on a computer, but digital VCRs and DVD players can also play digital video on TVs.  If you have very new computer equipment, you may be able to burn a DVD that will play in a computer or DVD player. 

Regardless of the type of video, previous students have found the assistants and equipment in AC314 on campus to be very useful.  If you won't be coming to BSU to work on a video, make sure you have access somewhere.

I want to make a power point presentation. Can you help me?

Power Point is not a difficult program to learn to use, especially for those who know word processing:

Some students just learn by trying and using the built-in help when they get stuck..

Some students like learning from online tutorials such as the one provided by Microsoft.

You can also get help in the UCS computer labs.

If you want to publish it on the internet, here are some suggestions.

Where can I scan pictures for my project?

On campus there are several places, such as AC314.  If you won't be coming to campus, you can check local libraries and companies that provide copy services.

I'm working with some others. Do you have ideas about how we can best work together?

There are three main strategies:

1. Divide up the project tasks and assign responsibilities to different members.  This is very efficient, but everyone is harmed if someone doesn't do their part correctly.  Successful groups usually talk about and decide on the "consequences" to someone who doesn't do his or her share.
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2. Meet together and work together.  This is less efficient, but can be fun and social.  The drawback for many students is finding common times when everyone can get together.  Meeting together is easiest for two people and gets harder and harder as the group get bigger.
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3. Collaborate electronically.  You can use word processors, email, chat systems, and special programs like MS Netmeeting to work together online either at the same time or at different times.  Few students are very familiar with these approaches, so here are some ideas:

Here is a paper on using word processors collaboratively

Microsoft has a online workshop on several collaborative tools, including using MS Word and Netmeeting.  They keep moving them around so you'll have to search for them.

author: Darrell L. Butler, last update 01/07/06 - 
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