Content Module

A content module using various media (Photoshop, Intuos Tablets, and Adobe Acrobat) to produce a PDF brochure slideshow exhibiting careers in Information and Communication Technology, as part of a Moodle ICT course

Link to content module: http://moodle.met.ubc.ca/mod/page/view.php?id=26177

Assignment 3: Project Documentation

For the learning module on my LMS (Moodle) site, I decided to create an assignment that follows the “Introductory Module” for the Information and Communications 8 course. The PDF assignment will be for students to fulfill a number of learning objectives as listed in the BC Curriculum document’s Learning objectives in the Information Technology section (British Columbia Ministry of Education, Sept 2010):

  • identify information technology tools used to access information
  • enter information accurately using appropriate keyboarding techniques and software that allows for the storage, retrieval, and editing of material
  • demonstrate the ability to formulate questions and to use a variety of sources and tools to access, capture, and store information
  • evaluate a variety of input and output devices
  • apply a variety of troubleshooting techniques related to information technology
  • identify careers and occupations that use information technology

Specifically, this assignment will focus on the last one: identify careers and occupations that use information and communication technology. Students will undertake a research project with the help of Student Services that will focus on a career in the information and communication technology field, and create a PDF brochure ‘slideshow’ that will be distributed to classmates. Students will then engage in a discussion about the brochures, and ask each other questions about the careers they have researched.

I have retained some of my initial notes about the instructions, which have been further refined and expanded upon on the Moodle site:

Overview (draft):

  • When opened, this PDF will be a slideshow of 5-6 pages.
  • The title page should clearly state the name of the career, with an image of yourself being that person, doing that job!
  • The next 3-4 pages must contain at least one image that you have created (using a digital camera), and 4-5 ‘bullet points’ about the career
  • e.g. information on what educational degrees/certificates/diplomas are required to start a career in your chosen field
  • examples of specific jobs that are related to your career, and information about the company/organization that you may be working for (unless the job involves being self-employed, in which case you will need to explain how this job makes money!)
  • The student services department has agreed to help answer questions about career paths in ICT, and which universities and programs are best suited to the career you wish to research! They will also provide you with ideas if you get stuck.
  • The last page should neatly summarize what makes this job interesting, and why someone should pursue such a career

Getting started:

This online PDF (http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/Jobs%20In_ICT_web.pdf) produced by the Northwest Territories Education, Culture and Employment ministry provides many examples of careers in ICT, as well as a good example of what a PDF brochure looks like! Your final PDF project will not need to be as detailed, but feel free to use this as a ‘starting point’ to generate ideas!

Part 1: Planning

You must first submit a plan of your brochure. This will be done using your Intuos Tablet and stylus, using photoshop. You can type the section headlines using the Type tool. Your .psd file should be named “Plan: *Careername* by *Yourname*” (e.g. Plan: Web Designer by John Smith). Use the Submit tool on Moodle. You will receive feedback on your plan via email.

Part 2: Making your Brochure
You many know that PDFs are not easily ‘editable’. You will first need to create your brochure using a Word Processing program, such as Microsoft Word. You can create your brochure in “landscape” or “portrait” mode: whichever you prefer. Make sure the name of the file is the name of the career you are ‘advertising’, as well as your name (e.g. Web Designer by John Smith)

Part 3: Making your Brochure into a “PDF Slideshow”

Once text and images have been added to your Word document, you can export the file as a PDF. Once you have your final file in PDF form, you will now need to make it into a PDF slideshow for submission. Use the upload tool on Moodle to submit your file.

If your brochure has significantly deviated from your original plan, please be sure to seek approval for your revisions.

Once the slideshows have all been submitted, they will be made available for everyone in the class to download! Your slideshow will be marked according to the PDF Brochure Assignment Rubric

Part 4: Viewing and Commenting on Three Classmate Brochures

You will all look at three different brochures of your choice and interest, and use the PDF  discussion board to comment on them. Which career looks most interesting to you? If you have questions for a particular student, be sure to include that student’s name in the title of your discussion board post. This means you will all need to be on the lookout, in case your name comes up and someone has questions for you!

Discussion Board requirements

You will be required to write at least one post, regarding the career that interests you, as well as comment on at least on other person’s entry. Be sure to use the digital citizenship and netiquette skills you developed in the introductory module… and be on the lookout for any discussion board posts directed to you! This will be assessed using the Discussion Board Rubric

Assessment methods and tools

Once students have been approved for their career choice (via the Google Doc ‘sign-up’ sheet), they can begin research on their chosen career. They will then create plans using their tablets and styluses, using drawings and text on Photoshop. I have used this method in planning Photoshop activities and it allows for a wider flexibility than simple pencil and paper. They can use colour, uploaded images, and a text tool to plan out their brochure, using ‘Layers’ in Photoshop for individual pages of the brochure.

Plans will be submitted using the Upload tool, which is linked on the Assignment page. This Upload tool will open 2 days before the due date, and close at 10pm on the due date. Student plans will be marked by the teacher formatively. Students must show adequate planning has gone into their brochure prior to completing the assignment. Comments/feedback will be made on the initial Photoshop ‘drawings’ (they are meant to be rough sketches) and summarized on an email that will be sent with the marked-up plans back to the students. This feedback will be used by students and they can move on to the assignment itself.

The PDF Slideshow can then be created. The final brochure must relate to the initial plan that they have laid out. If the plan for the brochure significantly changes during the course of building the brochure, students must discuss their revision plans prior to submission. PDF files will be made into Slideshows (instructions are on an embedded YouTube video), and will be submitted using the Upload tool, which is linked on the Assignment page. This Upload tool will open 2 days before the due date, and close at 10pm on the due date, just like the Plan.

The PDF Brochure assignment will be marked according to the rubric. Students will receive a mark /60 for this brochure.

The students must also download and view at least 3 brochure slideshows created by their classmates. They must then contribute to the discussion boards. This will be marked using the Discussion Board rubric, and students will receive an additional /20 marks for their participation on the Dicussion Boards. This means students receive a total of 60 + 20 = 80 marks for this assignment.

I should note that the formatting for this assignment is very similar to the Introductory Unit, with one major exception: links are now underlined, which makes them easier for students to see (they now look different from headings etc). I also added all the necessary due dates for this assignment using the Google calendar that is linked on the LMS course (from the home page). This fictional unit will begin Sept 23, 2015 and will finish on Oct 13, 2015.

References

British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2006). Grade 8 Curriculum Package and Integrated Resource Package, September 2010. Victoria, BC Canada. Retrieved from https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/curric_grade_packages/gr8curric_req.pdf

Northwest Territories Department of Culture, Education and Employment. (2006) Jobs in Information and Communication Technology: Career Opportunities Series, August 2006. Government of the Northwest Territories Box 1320, Yellowknife, Canada. Retrieved from: http://www.ece.gov.nt.ca/files/Jobs%20In_ICT_web.pdf

Treadwell, Greg. (Jan, 2014). Create PDF Slideshow. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/yFIvUBfNT9c

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