Application, implication or technology presentation

Our class covers Internet applications, implications and technology. Your assignment is to pick a single application, implication or technology and create a short presentation that teaches about it.

The target audience for the presentation is your CIS 275 classmates -- not techies. It should be self-contained, with adequate notes on the slides, but feel free to include links for further study if the reader becomes interested. Think of it as being roughly the equivalent of a section in a textbook.

The end product is a presentation file with slides and enough notes to stand on its own -- as a document to be read and studied, not the slides for a talk. (You will not be giving a presentation, just preparing the document).

Feel free to copy my presentation style -- a relatively simple slide with text annotation and sometimes questions for thought (those little stop signs) or pick a style you think works better.

Use Slides, the Google Drive presentation program, for this assignment. When you have a presentation that you have all worked on and are proud of, print a copy to turn in along with the document's Google Drive address (its URL).

This assignment will count double and there will be bonus credit for the best ones.

Link to topic module

Looking for a good question

Questions are more important in education than answers.

Read this blog post on projects to provide Internet connectivity at any point on the Earth.

Your assignment is to come up with a question after reading the post.

It should not be a simple factual question that can be answered by reading the post or a simple Google search and you are not expected to be able to answer the question.

Do not blow this assignment off by asking the first question that pops into your mind -- try to ask an interesting question.

Type your question to turn in -- also indicate whether it deals with Internet applications, implications or technology.

Link to topic module

Under the hood of a survey application

The purpose of this assignment is to reinforce your understanding of the information flow between a client and server on the Internet and the functional components of a computer. It also gives you practice collaboratively writing a short document.

Now that you have completed the student background survey, write carefully worded answers to these questions:

1. I used a survey-creation program to enter and format the survey questions. Where was that program while I was creating the survey?
2. After I finished drafting the survey, where were the survey questions stored?
3. While you were completing the questionnaire, what program were you running?
4. Where are your answers now?
5. While you were completing the survey, where was the survey-completion program and when did it get there?

Be specific and use the words client, server, memory, storage, program and data when appropriate. For example, don't just say something is stored at "Survey Gizmo" -- be more specific.

Use the Google Drive word processor for this assignment. When you have a clearly written answer that you are proud of, print a copy to turn in and send me the link to your answers in an email.

Be sure to set the sharing permission so that anyone with the address can view it, but only your team members can edit it.

Link to topic module.
Link to topic module
Link to topic module
Link to topic module

Do you get enough back in return for your privacy?

The purpose of this assignment is to get you thinking about Internet privacy and its costs and benefits. It will also give you practice writing a short, Internet document and, if you do it with a partner, with collaborative writing.

Watch these videos:

• Google video on the benefits of personalized search
• Google video on the benefits of personalize ad targeting
• Sixty Minutes segment on online privacy

Then write a short document that:

1. Summarizes in a sentence or two and links to the CBS video.
2. Summarizes in a sentence or two and links to the Google videos.
3. States your view on the issue -- do you get enough back in return for giving up aspects of your privacy?

Don't forget to include the links -- assume the reader is online.

Print the document to turn in.

Link to topic module on Internet privacy
Link to topic module on writing short documents

UCLA learning behaviors survey

The purpose of this assignment is to focus your attention on learning behaviors that have been found to correlate with academic success by UCLA researchers. It also illustrates an online survey application and gives you practice with Internet writing.

Complete this learning behaviors survey. Don't rush -- really think about your answers.

When you have finished, print a screen shot showing your responses and submit the form.

I will not pay a bit of attention to your particular responses -- the purpose is to help you look at your own learning behaviors.

Next, write answers to these questions, written using the Google Drive word processor

1. Which of these learning behaviors is easiest for you?
2. Which of these learning behaviors is hardest for you?
3. Which new one, if any, are you willing to try this semester?

Print the answer using the print command in the Google word processing program and turn it in.

Link to topic module
Link to topic module

The UCLA survey covers many other characteristics of freshman students -- for more information, see this blog post.

Create a simple databse

This assignment will introduces an online database service, Zoho Creator.

Start by signing up for a 15-day free trial, which includes all of the premium features or a limited Forever Free account, which is sufficient for this assignment.

Your assignment is to create a simple database with at least one form with at least three types of field and one report. Add at least three records to your database and print copies of the form and the report showing at least three records to turn in.

The database can be for any application you choose, but, if you do not have any better idea, you can implement the sample animal database we demonstrated in class:

When your database is finished add a date field to the form then add a new record, entering your name instead of a date. What happened when you entered your name in a date field?

Crowd sourcing -- best Twitter reference sheet

You created reference sheets for the Twitter user interface and posted them to our class community on Google Plus. Review the various reference sheets and vote (+1) for the one you think is the most useful. Also post a short statement saying why you chose the one you did. The best reference sheets will get extra credit.

You can not vote for your own post.

Print out your post to turn in.

Craft a question about the Khan Academy

This assignment has two purposes -- to introduce you to Sal Khan and the Khan Academy, an important Internet education service, and to get you to think about good questions.

Read the associated topic module, then watch this TED Talk by Sal Khan of the Khan Academy.

After watching it, formulate a question that a teacher might ask a class about the talk. Try to come up with a question that would get the class thinking or stimulate discussion -- it should not be something trivial like a fact that could be looked up in the talk transcript or using a search engine. Make sure it is a question that you could answer intelligently.

When you have crafted a carefully worded question, print it out to turn in.

Also post it to our class community under the topic "questions for Sal Khan."

Link to topic module

Simple blog post

In a previous assignment, you answered a question on a talk by Michael Wesch. Post your revised, well-written answer to that question on your blog. (Be sure to state which of the three questions you are answering).

Print and turn in a screen shot of your blog post.

Link to topic module

The Twitter user interface

This assignment has two purposes -- to familiarize you with the Twitter user interface and to provide collaborative writing experience.

The Twitter user interface has seven links (A-G above). Experiment with and write a short description of what each is used for.

Your answer should be a document that describes each letter and its function.

Post your document on Google Drive then post a link to it in our class Google Plus community. Note that you should post it in the "Twitter user interface" category. (Only one team member should post the link). Be sure to share your document publically readable so others can see it.

Print a copy of your document and the link to it in the class community to turn in.

Link to topic module