The aim of the Web Presence Creation is for you to develop an initial online presence for yourself. Your web presence has some required elements: a central node (eg the core website that at the heart of your web presence, which might be a blog, a wiki, or another form of website) , which includes an ‘About’ page and an ‘Exegesis’; and at least three contributing nodes, which are different web 2.0 tools or services which are linked to from your central node, link back to your central node, and are part of your overall web presence.
Your web presence must combine your identity and a purposeful theme, which means it can’t just be about ‘Jane Smith the Curtin Student’ but must focus on an interest of some sort , for example, ‘Jane Smith the Future Public Relations Guru’, ‘Jane Smith the Digital Journalist’, ‘Jane Smith the Fashion Designer’ or even ‘Jane Smith Amazing Cupcake Designer’. You can choose almost any theme, but the theme must be consistent for your entire web presence creation.
Your should aim to ensure that your web presence has a purposeful ‘look’ (ie the design and style of your presence), that all of the elements tie together to send a consistent ‘message’ about you and the theme your presence is about, and that all of the elements are appropriate for the theme you’re web presence creation is illustrating.
Required Elements
[1] Central node: the central node is essentially your main website, which can be of any sort you choose, such as a blog, a wiki, a build-your-own website using a free service like Google Site Builder, or some other type that suits the web presence you’re creating. Ensure you choose something appropriate and consistent with the theme of your presence. In choosing a central node, each and every element of that website should be taken into account in creating your web presence from the layout, colours and fonts through to the number of columns (if any) and extra links (such as a blogroll, if any) and where you choose to put your About page and exegesis.
However, you are not expected to write the code for your central node, but rather make informed choices about the different changes you can make using the easy-to-use tools that come with most free websites. The central node must include an About page, your exegesis and links to at least three contributing nodes.
(In order to demonstrate how you might set up a particular platform as your central node, you can view the 25 minute explanatory video Using Wordpress.com As Your Web Presence Central Node. Please note this does not mean you have to use Wordpress - it's your job to determine the most appropriate platform - this is just one example.)
[2] About page: The about page is where you explain to anyone who finds your central node who you are and what your web presence is all about (written for a general audience). The about page can be as long as you need it to be, but keep in mind you’re writing for an online audience who won’t be expecting to read page and pages of text, so keep things as concise as possible. If in doubt, feel free to look around the web at examples of About page other people have written. If you find About pages that inspire you, don’t forget to note these as sources in your exegesis.
If you’re using photos and other media that are not your own creation as part of your web presence, you may wish to use the about page to give credit to these sources. (Keep in mind, that you must respect copyright laws, so don’t use material you don’t have legal permission to reuse, and ensure you give appropriate credit for anything that’s not your own creation.)
[3] Exegesis: The exegesis is, basically, an explanation of the choices you’ve made in creating your web presence and has a 1000 word limit. It should be clear and concise, outlining what choices you made in creating your web presence, and why you made those choices. A good exegesis will ensure that your choices are contextualised within the unit materials (ie the exegesis will refer to material you’ve read, viewed and discussed in the unit).
Some of the questions you may consider addressing in your exegesis include: How did you choose the layout of your central node? (For example, if you’re using Wordpress, which presentation template are you using, and why did you choose this one?) How did you select which web 2.0 tools would be your contributing nodes? How do these contributing nodes reflect the theme or style of web presence you’ve created? How do your choices in terms of the central node, your about page, and your contributing nodes demonstrate that you’ve engaged with the ideas discussed in this unit (eg justify your choices using at least some of the readings and discussion done in the unit)?
Your exegesis should be visible as part of your web presence – either visible as a page or blog post, or other clearly visible format appropriate for the type of web presence you’ve created. Since the exegesis takes the form of a short essay, it should include a fully formed introduction and conclusion, should be written in paragraph form, should present a clear argument about the creation of your web presence, and should meaningfully engage with both readings/viewings provided in the unit and, where possible, include credible material from secondary sources. Your exegesis should follow the APA referencing style. In the exegesis you must clearly indicate all references and sources for the material informing your Web Presence Creation using in-text citations and a clearly marked References list at the end of your exegesis.
[4] Contributing Nodes: you must include at least three contributing nodes which are profiles/presences on another web service or tool which are linked to from your central node and also link back to your central node. Each contributing node should also reflect and build upon the theme you’re trying to convey with your overall web presence. You will be introduced to a number of web 2.0 tools during module two of the unit, many of which you might choose as a contributing node. You can also select other tools or services which are appropriate for the web presence and theme you’re designing. Researching and finding the appropriate web 2.0 tools is part of the design process for your web presence.
(As an example, if you used Delicious bookmarks, then your Delicious profile should include a link back to your central node, and the bookmarks you’ve saved should reflect the same theme that your web presence is trying to convey. If you’d chosen a ‘cupcake designer’ theme, then your Delicious bookmarks might include annotated links to other cupcake designers, cupcake recipes, and so on.)
** Two Important Points: (A) You may not alter your web presence, either the central node, about page, exegesis, or any of your contributing nodes from the minute you submit your web presence creation until you have received your marks for this assignment. (B) Please note that the web presence created for this unit must be specifically built for this unit. You cannot use your existing website or blog or anything else you had before enrolling in this unit. (This is to ensure the assessment is fair to all students.)
Submission
In order to submit your web presence creation, ensure that all of the elements of your web presence are visible online and then submit a cover page indicating the URL (the web address) of your central node and indicating which are your contributing nodes. (For example: Central Node URL: https://www.tamaleaver.net. Contributing Nodes: Delicious, Twitter, LinkedIn)
Please refer to the calendar in your Unit Outline for the due date.
Criteria for Assessment
Your Web Presence Creation will be assessed by how well you:
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of, and ability to use, the specific features of different online tools
• Convey a coherent and consistent identity and related theme across all elements of your web presence
• Relate conceptual understandings to practical implementation of online tools and content
• Critically contextualise the choices made in creating your web presence in terms of the ideas raised in the reading, discussions and other material examined during the unit.