Friday, August 23, 2013

Investigate Stage Task

Investigate Stage: Digital Home Unit
Investigate stage is usually captured using the following subheadings;
· Problem description
· Design brief
· Research
· Design specifications
· Bibliography
Problems description:
-         Describe the current problem while stating the client. Example,
“Musa a business man, sales his handicrafts carvings next to Fort Jesus gate in Mombasa. He has been doing this for the last 10 years. The only people who buy his items are the visitors who visit the Fort. During the low season for tourists in Mombasa, his sales are quite low. He now needs away to sustain his sales throughout the year.”
-        Why is the problem important/relevant to the AOI / society / and yourself?
-        Why do you think an IT solution will be best suited in solving the problem of your client? (N/B Don’t state what you will create at this stage)
Design brief: This is your response to the challenge, showing how you intend to solve the problem that you have been presented with. The following must be clear in your design brief
-        The Design Brief is a short statement of what you are going to make, why you are going to make it, and for whom you are making it for. It should be an open ended statement.
Example: For example; a clock project. A good Design Brief might be something like this...
"Teenagers have very busy lives. School, family and social activities mean that being punctual is very important. I will design and make a wall clock that will be appealing for teenage girls. It will be a modern design and will be suitable for a teenage girl's bedroom. Because the design will appeal to teenage girls, them they will be more likely to look at it, read the time and therefore not be late.”
Research;
-        This an in-depth investigation about the product (website), the types of the product, concepts and related terminologies, the processes involved, the various skills and techniques required in its development etc.
-        The research should always be supported with Screenshots, photos, graphics that shows the different techniques and skills applied while using the software.
-        The research should be organized in a proper format. Paragraphs should be used at all times and properly.
-        The researched information should be analyzed. That means that your own comments and contributions should be evident.
-        Apply in-text referencing where possible and use at least four different types of sources. References http://www.slideshare.net/smp3/apa-style-tutorial
-        Primary research is a summary of the feedback of an expert of the product you plan to create.

Design Specifications 
A good Design Specification should include information that you learned about the task/problem from your research. It is a list of requirements that your design ideas must meet plus a list of constraints that you have. It is the check list that you need to use when you start to make your design ideas.
-        You can use a table of essential and desirable characteristics. These are design specifications that the product/solution must meet.

Bibliography
The sources of information and a bibliography should be in proper format (APA).
All the interview or survey questions and their responses should be in the appendices.

Investigate stage Challenge
Start your investigation by identifying a client who will require a website solution to address the problem faced currently in the traditional method. Use the information outline above for this investigation. The link to the AOI should be evident.

Assessment Criteria


Achievement level

0
The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors given below.
1–2
The student states the problem. The student investigates the problem, collecting basic information from sources. The student lists some given design specifications.
3–4
The student describes the problem. The student investigates with guidance the problem, and considers information from  basic appropriate, acknowledged sources. The student describes a test to evaluate the product/solution against the given design specification.
5–6
The student understands the problem, within a wider context. The student investigates with guidance the problem, and considers information from a basic range of appropriate, acknowledged sources. The student describes methods for appropriate testing to evaluate the product/solution against the given design specification.



Investigate Checklist
Identify the problem 
-I have described the problem as I understood it.
I have written an explanation on why the problem is important, to my life, to the society and  relevance to the A.O.I.’s?
Develop your Design Brief 
-I have written down a design brief: Explaining  what I am going to make, why I am going to make it, and for whom.
Research

I have researched on the skills and techniques required in the development of the product.
- Most of my research work is supported with screenshots, photos, and graphics that explains the different techniques and skills used in web design.
I have organized my research in a proper format using paragraphs properly.o I have added comments (my voice) on most of the information researched and applied some in-text citations.
I have referred to at least four different types of resources in the investigation section.
I have undertaken a primary research by consulting an expert in the field of my investigation.
Design Specifications 
I have design specifications which includes a table of essential and desirable characteristics with tests.
- I have included references to the sources of information and a bibliography in proper format (APA) is attached at the end of the investigation section.
I have included in the appendix all the interview or survey questions and their responses.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Investigate Activities

History of Web design
Use the link below to read and respond to the following questions
What are some of the internet jobs identified in the article?

What are some of the features listed as part of the things we couldn’t imagine internet without?

Who used the internet exclusively in the 80’s?

What is Mosaic?

Use this link http://www.bnbwebsites.com/websites-.htm  to list key unique positives and negatives features of the different website generations.
Website Generations
Key unique characteristics
1st


2nd


3rd


4th


5th


HTML Codes Activities
HTML stands for "Hyper-Text Markup Language." This is the language that Web pages are written in.
Visit http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_editors.asp read and try out the activities from HTML home to HTML links.
Reflection: Write your own reflection on the activity


Create flash cards for the website terms.

Use either http://quizlet.com/create-set  to create flashcards for the following website related terminologies.

Use only the two links below to get the websites terminologies;



Reflection: what were your challenges or successes in creating the flashcards using quizlet?
What will you do different next time?

Digital Home Unit

Digital Home Unit
AOI: Human Ingenuity
Students should be able to appreciate, critique, and create websites as a tool for communication.
How do websites influence us? What are the impacts of what we create on the people in my local community?

Significant Concepts
Web design is a process that requires planning, creating, hosting skills. There are many free online website builders as well as programs that can be installed on the computer. The choice is determined by features and skill level of web author.

Unit question
To what extent have websites been used to promote business or our cultures?

ATL skills
Literacy/Writing: Interpret information from various sources, and effectively summarizes general ideas and uses a bibliography.
Organization: Research information independently and use relevant information and resources.

Reflection: Reflect and understand mistakes on formative and summative work.