WRTG 3306, Spring 2014, CRN 27753

Dr. Kyle Mattson; Contact Info.: Thompson 313; kmattson@uca.edu; (501) 450-3338
* Though this schedule may change if circumstances require, I will notify you in class or by email of any material
changes.
Project 4: Team Genre Ecology (for team grade)
20% of Individual Course Grade
For Project 4, teams will compete against each other toward the same objectivemaking a challenging technology
or system understandable to a group of interested stakeholders. As you know, in the world of work there are seldom
lone rangers. Teams matter to the function of any organization, whether an SME (small- or medium-sized enterprise),
a multinational, a government agency, or social-action organization such as an NPO. What will your team
accomplish in this project? Following on your prior experience with genre ecologies in Project 3, I have termed the
Project 4 team project "genre ecology" for a reason. In the usability literature, C. Spinuzzi (2001, 2003) has
discussed genre ecologies at length, defining it as "an interrelated, relatively stable group of genres that comediate
their users work in a shifting variety of ways" (2001, p. 42) and "a coherent collection of habits" (2003, p. 46). Let's
make it simple. In this project, teams will prepare an effective how-to presentation with demonstration for a group of
interested stakeholders. Last semester, WRTG 3306 focused on the SONY Handycam XR-150 camcorders stored in
Thompson 308. Each team familiarized themselves with that technology, including its parts, its functionality, how
users transfer video from the camcorders to computers in Thompson 105 or to Macs in other settings. Though some
of the projects were quite stunning, we are now at a place where we in WRTG 3306 can collectively declare, "Been
there! Done that!" Instead, your teams have more freedom to choose he technology of system that your genre
ecology. Though I fully expect teams to become familiar with the camcorders and use them to document a specific
technological product or system, teams will now choose different technological products or systems. We will
continue with the basic expectation that the genre ecology comprises 3 distinctive genres that work together to the
benefit of the stakeholders.
When ready, each team will deliver a live how-to presentation of the technological product or system in class, giving
a step-by-step sequence overview that combines digital video-recording with the other media the team has developed
as part of its team genre ecology.
Variable 1
The team will want to settle on an appropriate target audience for the presentation. I had thought to prescribe the
target audience to each team, but ultimately I determined that you might have more energy about the project if I left
that decision to teams. So . . . who is your preferred demographic? To which group(s) are you trying to
communicate this complex information?
Variable 2
The Thompson 105 lab computers, software, and checkout times for the SONY Handycam XR-150 (or other
camcorders available in Thompson 308). Teams must plan carefully since students in other professional writing
classes will also be checking out camcorders from time to time.
Variable 3
Although teams must submit their related projects at the same time (shared deadline), each team will have one 25minute timeslot during our scheduled final exam to present. What can you cover in this time? What would the
intended audience need to know? When would they need to know it? Be brave! Don't gloss over need-to-know
technological problems with sleek marketing language. How does the technological product of system work for the
audience(s) your team has focused on? Even so, when is technical information too much? Perhaps there is material
that you need to cut back on to avoid overwhelming the stakeholders.
If I remember, teams will sign-up for these presentations through an in-class challenge of wit, speed, and accuracy. If
I forget, I will simply assign an order to teams. After all, these presentations take place during our scheduled final
exam.
Teamwork: The Norm in the World of Work
Teams comprising creative geniuses and also-rans make the world go round everyday. Whether these team members
actually like or respect each other has very little to do with the reality. People who may not like each other still have
a job to do. Be professionals! No matter what the internal chemistry or power dynamics of your team, no matter if
one team member is tiresomely controlling or another burdensomely passive, your team must work together to
achieve the common goal. Now let's all chant "Welcome to the real world!"

WRTG 3306, Spring 2014, CRN 27753

Dr. Kyle Mattson; Contact Info.: Thompson 313; kmattson@uca.edu; (501) 450-3338
* Though this schedule may change if circumstances require, I will notify you in class or by email of any material
changes.
Policy Affecting Non-productive Team Members during Team Work
See "Policy Affecting Non-productive Team Members during Team Work" in our WRTG 3306 syllabus.
Iterative Usability and Accessibility Testing
While a major goal in Project 4 (as in earlier projects) is for you to complete usability testing and accessibility
assessment of the team deliverables, an additional expectation is that teams will agree on a set of best practices for
completing iterative usability and accessibility testing of team-designed content. Thus, teams should revisit the
collection of team members' Project 1 protocols, agree to the best examples, and then revise these to fit the situation
of iterative usability testing and accessibility assessment for the team genre ecology.
Our "In-House Style Guide" for Project 4
We will consult and apply the The Canadian Style to the team projects:
http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/tcdnstyl/index-eng.html?lang=eng
Items Required for Project 4
1.) Proposal Memo: This memo, to be emailed to me at kmattson@uca.edu, seeks my approval of your team's
intended demographic for the genre ecology and 3 related genres the team will create.
2.) Two Revised Protocols: Composite of Team Members Best Project 1 usability testing and accessibility
assessment protocols now localized to Project 4: Team Genre Ecology. (Both protocols should reflect
project-specific changes.)
3.) Paper-Prototype: Card-sorting of the genre ecology your team will complete for this project.
4.) Thorough Notes from Paper Prototype: Notes from each rotation.
5.) Thorough Notes from Usability Testing Results: Notes from each rotation.
6.) Thorough Notes from Accessibility Assessment Results: Notes from each rotation.
7.) First Draft: At this stage, your project should be about 50% complete and ready for initial iterative usability
testing and accessibility assessment. Iterative usability testing and accessibility assessment should result in
subsequent changes to your project.
8.) Final Draft: Following application of findings from 2nd-draft usability testing and accessibility assessment,
this draft should be 100% complete by Project 4 grading. When citing primary and secondary sources for
this final draft, apply The Canadian Style for conventions of style and for documentation (see
http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/tcdnstyl/index-eng.html?lang=eng). Such reference
requirements necessarily cite images/graphics, words, and ideas attributable to someone outside your team.
9.) Team Presentation: Each team will have 25 minutes to present the genre ecology to the stakeholders (most
likely to "Doc" and classroom peers sitting in as the stakeholders): 1) explain the technology or system; 2)
provide a how-to overview of functionality; 3) make clear to the stakeholders how the parts of the genre
ecology work together. (Note: Do not use the term "genre ecology" with the stakeholders.)
10.) Full Reference List Conforming to The Candadian Style: This list should include at least 10 of the
organizational materials you researched in the early stages of Project 3.
11.) Send Email of Link to Final Draft (along with attachments of revised usability and assessment protocols):
Please make sure that the email address (kmattson@uca.edu) is correct; dont forget the attached
documents in Word format. No other format will do! If I have to request a corrected format or an
attachment that you forgot to add, I may mark your project late.
12.) Printout of 3306 Team Grading Rubric: Place this printed rubric atop all required drafts in manila file
jacket. To be handed in by project deadline.
13.) Printouts of All Drafts: Place these printed out drafts below 3306 Regular Grading Rubric in manila file
jacket. To be handed in by project deadline.
A Required Word Count?
Try not to think of word count for this project. Instead, think about rhetorical appropriateness for the genre
ecology your team has created. How have design and words converged in a strong genre ecology? Is your team
communicating to users of the intended demographic what they need to know when they need to know it? If not,
these users may see the project as a failure. Again, I do understand that design matters; getting the design right
can take as much timeeven more timethan composing the right words. Use wordsyesbut attend to
design.