ENGL 1102
Spring 2009
Final Web Project & Portfolio (35%)
Peer Review 1 (Written Content): Friday, April 10th
Peer Review 2 (Web Material): Wednesday, April 22nd
Final Version Due: By 5:00PM on the scheduled exam day
(P3=April 29th; E1=April 28th; M=April 29th)
Task
For the final project, students will need to create an interactive website that does two things:
1) the site as a whole should function as a portfolio for their writing throughout the semester (i.e.
a main page, introduction, menu, links to respective sections of the portfolio, conclusion section,
etc).
2) the site will also need to include the final research project on zombies in popular media. The
research project must focus on a particular theme or themes (i.e. gender, technology,
reproduction, etc.) in 2-3 different zombie narratives. Students are free to choose any texts they
wish (film, novel, graphic novel, etc.) to analyze. One text must be from the course reading or
film list; additional texts may be chosen from outside with prior approval. The project should
develop a clear argument, establish connections across the texts (i.e. comparison and/or contrast),
present close readings of key scenes or examples to support ideas, and integrate theoretical ideas
from at least five scholarly sources to help develop the author’s claims.
NOTE: Students may not choose a film that they have already written or presented on.
Requirements
The Portfolio

The web portfolio and all its content must be uploaded and hosted on the IRON server
under the student’s account (see the wiki’s Resources section for details on uploading to
the server)

Students should use an HTML editing program (like Dreamweaver) to design their
portfolio

The main index page of the site should have: 1) a title, 2) the student’s name and section
number; 3) a brief welcome/introduction paragraph explaining the contents of the
portfolio; 4) a menu with links to your work throughout the semester—this MUST
include: a) your film poster; b) your group poster; c) your scene analysis web project; and
d) the final project
The Final Project

The project must develop an analytical argument about the 2-3 chosen zombie texts that
is supported with persuasive scene analyses and relevant scholarly sources. Therefore,
the project needs to make connections between the primary texts by examining them in
relation to each other, not separately.

The project must have a specific title that reflects the focus of the analyses

The project must include pertinent images, especially to support any scene analyses. I
expect to see screenshots and/or embedded video clips of the sequence(s) discussed
(Note: All images or videos appropriate from the web must be cited in the Works
Cited section using MLA format)

The project must have the following sections:
 1) introduction (provides an appropriate opening hook, situates the film,
the thematic focus, and articulates the thesis)
 2) separate topic or thematic sections (these should have their own
subtitles/headings and contain the bulk of the project’s written content,
including scene analyses from the texts)
 3) a conclusion (ties together the different sections, reiterates their
significance to the narratives and the overall argument, etc.)
 4) a Works Cited (ALL cited materials must be indexed here using MLA
style)

The written content of the project should total between 2000-2500 words (approximately
8-10 pages double spaced).

On a technical level, the project must:
o Incorporate relevant, function hyperlinks
o Demonstrate ability to modify background color or wallpaper imagery
o Set the title of the project and sub-headings apart from the other written content
by use of distinctive font size, color, and/or style
o The font should be legible throughout the site—please use 14pt font or larger for
chunks of written text
o Use single-spaced block paragraphs and demarcate paragraph breaks with a
paragraph or double line break
o Use formal language and avoid use of the personal pronoun
o Use present tense when discussing the film and specific scenes
Submission
 Students must submit the URL (under the “Add URL” tab) in their individual dropbox
folder on T-Square by 5:00PM on their section exam date
 Students must also turn in hard copy printouts of their peer reviews on the last day of
class (Note: It is recommended that students also submit electronic copies to the dropbox
as backups)
Suggestions and Tips
Preparation

Students should keep their written content in Word documents so that it is easy to edit
and track changes (Note: Students should wait to upload their written content to the
web site until they have completed all peer reviews and revisions)

Students should test out well in advance all links, videos, and images to their site before
submitting the URL to dropbox

Students should test their website out on several different browsers to ensure consistency
(Note: I will be viewing projects in either Mozilla or Safari)

Students can consult with me in advance if they have questions about the project or
would like me to look over drafted sections (Note: This must be done via appointment,
not over email)

Students are encouraged to use their peers as resources, especially if they need help with
HTML editing; alternatively, students can often receive assistance from help desk
personnel in the Multimedia Suite of the library
Grading and Assessment
Students will receive a percentage out of 100 for their grade on this assignment.
For the portfolio (10%) I will be assessing:
1) how well it meets the assignment criteria for formatting, content, etc.
2) the clarity and effectiveness of the welcome/introduction paragraph
3) functionality of links and ease of navigation throughout the portfolio
3) style and creativity of design
For the final project (25%) I will be assessing:
1) clarity, cohesiveness, and persuasiveness of overall argument
2) the quality and sophistication of textual analysis and scholarly support for the argument
throughout the project
3) overall organization of the project and the written content
4) design creativity, professionalism, and appropriateness
5) grammar, spelling, and MLA citation accuracy
Additionally, I will also be taking into consideration the Writing and Communications Program
rubric when assessing projects (See chart on following page).
Table 1. Objectives and Outcomes Specified by the Board of Regents and by Communication@Tech
Board of Regents
University System of Georgia*
Georgia Tech
Writing and Communication Program
Rhetoric
Rhetoric focuses on
available means of
persuasion,
considering the
synergy of factors
such as context,
audience, purpose,
role, argument,
organization, design,
visuals, and
conventions of
language.
Objective
“Understand
rhetorical contexts
for writing by
establishing the
writer’s role, the
audience, and the
purpose of the
project.”
Outcome
“Use conventions
of writing
mechanics, usage,
and style to
communicate
effectively for the
given audience,
purpose, and
format.”
Objectives
Understand
registers and
variations within
discourses.
Process
Processes for
communication —
for example,
creating, planning,
drafting, designing,
rehearsing, revising,
presenting,
publishing—are
recursive, not linear.
Learning productive
processes is as
important as creating
products.
Objective
“Approach writing
as a way to think
and communicate
ideas to others.”
Outcomes
“Use recursive
processes that
include collecting
information,
focusing, ordering,
drafting, revising,
and editing.”
Objective
Explore individual
and collaborative
processes in
multicultural and
international
contexts.
Outcome
Create artifacts that
demonstrate the synergy
of rhetorical elements.
Apply strategies
for addressing
academic and
professional
audiences.
Outcome
Construct, select, and
deploy information based
on interpretation and
critique of the accuracy,
bias, credibility,
authority, and
appropriateness of
sources.
“Demonstrate the
techniques and skills
of research,
integration of source
material, and
documentation.”
Quoted text derives from the “Committee on English Recommendation,” Board of Regents for the University
System of Georgia, http://www.usg.edu/academics/comm/english/level_11012.phtml (accessed July 31, 2008).
*
Modes and Media
Activities and
assignments should
use a variety of
modes and media—
written, oral, visual,
electronic, and
nonverbal—singly
and in combination.
The context and
culture of
multimodality and
multimedia are
critical.
Objective
“Adjust writing to
a variety of
contexts, including
electronic
environments.”
Outcome
“Read and respond
to various texts for
purposes of
interpretation,
analysis, synthesis,
evaluation, and
judgment.”
Objective
Distinguish and
evaluate
multimodal
communication —
WOVEN (Written,
Oral, Visual,
Electronic, and
Nonverbal).
Outcome
Create WOVEN artifacts
that demonstrate
interpretation, analysis,
synthesis, evaluation, and
judgment.