The literature survey will involve reading material for one of the topics in the last item (Programming the World Wide Web) in the course outline. You might read a single article, a collection of articles, or portions of a book. After completing your reading, you should write a review document, which should include a complete bibliography. You will also prepare and give a 50-minute presentation in class.
Topics will be assigned to students on a first-come, first-served basis. You should choose your topic by Sept 30. Send me e-mail to fulfill this requirement.
The review document should be at most 10 pages in length. The document should contain both a summary component and an evaluative component. Because of the space constraint, you should summarize the key points of your reading. Do not get bogged down in all the details. Try to focus on the big picture. But be sure to focus primarily on technological issues. For example, social or legal aspects of a topic are not a high priority.
In the evaluative component, evaluate the technology, approach or concept that the topic concerns. Do you think there is a need for it? Do you think it is well-thought out? What strengths and weaknesses do you see?
There is no absolute right and wrong in the evaluation. Many of these topics are new and controversial. What is important is that you formulate a well-considered opinion. Take a stand! And then defend your stand.
An initial submission of your paper should be done no later than November 5. Hand the hard copy to me in class or have the office staff put it in my mailbox in the CS department office. (The CS department closes at 4:30pm!) Do not slide the paper under the door to my office!
I will grade and return the initial submission by November 20.
The final submission is due on December 16. Hand the hard copy to me in person or have the office staff put it in my mailbox in the CS department office. Do not slide the paper under the door to my office!
The in-class presentation should include the key points of your paper from both the summary and evaluative components. Time will be tight so it will be important to properly organize the talk. You must plan on fielding questions. You must be flexible and be able to effectively use the full 50 minutes whether you get a lot of questions or not. That is, prioritize your points and cover the most important ones first. Only get into the details of one point if all other high-level points have already been covered. You are encouraged to meet with me in advance to go over your plans for the talk.
You should identify a reading assignment for the class that introduces your topic. This might be a short article or even a set of webpages. The reading assignment should be identified and communicated to the class at least two weeks before your talk.
Student presentations will be scheduled during the last four weeks of classes (Nov 11 to Dec 13) in the order the topics appear in the course outline.
The two submissions and your presentation will be equally weighted in determining your overall grade for the assignment. Your writing will be graded for its clarity and for your use of proper mechanics, as well as for the content. Similarly, your presentation will be graded for its effectiveness and organization, as well as for the content.
If you have any questions about this assignment, I strongly encourage you to meet with me to discuss them.
Comments and questions should be directed to hatcher@unh.edu