Note to Students:

The primary goal of this course is to enhance your ability to effectively and intelligently use computers to create and design texts in commercial, academic, and other settings. Course projects are intended to help you begin to build an understanding and functional skills in the visual presentation of information. I aim to reinforce the idea that electronic design is a creative enterprise and that it relies foremost on one's ability to communicate information in an appealing yet concise and knowledgeable manner.

This particular section of the course, because it is offered by Distance Learning (and, in the case of the summer course, such a short period of time), presents numerous challenges. The process of completing course assignments involves solving many problems, especially in the areas of formatting text and working with software and networks. It is essential that you are conscientious with your work and that you directly communicate all quandaries that you encounter as the course progresses. To this end, I will establish a technical difficulties section on the PTC 605 WebCT Discussion Board. You may always email me via funkhouser@adm.njit.edu if you have questions, though I encourage you to make your questions public via WebCT Discussion Board, as I am certain that fellow students may have the same questions.

You are expected to be diligent and keep apace with the course requirements. Grades will be determined by judging your engagement in producing the assignments, your overall participation in the seminar, and your final project. Please refer to the course syllabus at http://web.njit.edu/~cfunk/2006/605 for all other information.

PTC 605's most significant contribution to building core competencies in NJIT's MSPTC program is in the area of document design. Writing and editing, rhetoric, and many of the other traits associated with the core competencies do transpire in the WebCT sector of the class, which is also related to interpersonal communication. Collaboration is not emphasized in the course, although problem solving, personal and work skills, along with specialized expertise and technology skills (also emphasized in the core competencies) normally become evident to me through the course, assignments, and discourse. The only two traits in the descriptor categories that are not somehow covered are "exhibits ability to incorporate multimedia into online presentations" and "demonstrates ability to create user-centered layout and design" - the only assignment that considers an audience beyond the class is the final project, which is a printed newsletter; the course does not involve significant web instruction or design.