An introduction to the module, schedule, assessment. Websites and using edublogs at UoB.

LM225 and XE404: Digital fabrication methods (studentcentral)

  • module descriptor
  • schedule (class and open access)
  • assessment sheet
  • resources: we will provide access to consumables, equipment and software

Baseline

Who has:

  • Made a website, blog or online portfolio?
  • Used project management tools?

We’ll start by producing a blog/website for your project that you will build upon every week. We should make it very clear from the outset that you should be continually adding material to the blog as you go - do not leave it until later…document as you go!

Blogs (for UoB students)

Blogs are websites.

goto http://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/createnew/ and select the first (or if you like the 2nd) option.

Follow the instructions to name and create your site. Note that this will be a wordpress site that is hosted within the University.

Note also the publication settings (internal or external, searchable or not, etc).

Inspirational examples:

Resources:

Other options (by all means play!)

Site structure:

  • note you can use posts (chronological) or pages (static)
  • use categories to help sort by subject
  • use tags to help search by keywords/topics
  • consider your menu structure (draw a tree diagram)
  • play around at first
  • then decide and be consistent throughout

Considerations:

  • embed video (do not upload)
  • label+manage files+images like a jedi. Never upload a full res image (images always <1Mb)
  • note only 1Gb storage capacity
  • love your blog, document constantly, like a person possessed, and show it off!

Project management

Principles

  • triage
  • demand- vs supply-side time management
  • serial vs parallel development
  • spiral development
  • bottom-up vs top-down debugging
  • hierarchy, modularity
  • document as you work!!
  • Mythical Man-Month

Tools

Assignment

  1. Create your edublog, go through the edublocks userguide and the image formatting guides. Note: if you have experience with websites you could create your own site externally if you wish.

Play around and populate your site:

  • test out some themes (noting requirements for image sizes/ratios etc)
  • create an about me page, upload+include an appropriately formatted+labelled image, embed an external video from youtube/vimeo/other
  • create a reflective post about your first(?) experience with wordpress
  • in both cases, use tags and categories
  • create a menu (or multiple menus) and add these to your site as widgets
  • submit the URL of your site into the assessment submission area on Studentcentral. Add a short note about what you have submitted. Check with your tutor that they can access the site. Submit again each week with a short update on progress.
  1. Use this week to start experimenting with a project management tool (trello, gantt chart etc). Try one every week or two, evaluate them, reflect on what works/doesn’t work for you - and to look at the theories and principles around project management.