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Journalism 772 and 472: Computer-Assisted Reporting

Fall 2008

 

“Learning Outcomes Evaluation” and the Data Analysis Project

 

In response to requirements imposed by two outside accrediting bodies, the College of Journalism has instituted a system to measure how well it teaches certain core principles.  In our course, this will require you to upload a sample of your work – the final version of the project story memo from your data analysis assignment – to a College of Journalism database on the Web.  My evaluation of your success in meeting the relevant “learning outcomes” will also be included in this database.  Each student’s work and my evaluation will only be accessible by that student, me, the college administrators and, occasionally, someone responsible for evaluating the College of Journalism program.

 

We will go over the “rubric” of assessment goals in class.  They are posted on the College of Journalism Web site at https://www.jportfolio.umd.edu/.

 

What you need to do:

 

  1. Log in to the site to familiarize yourself with what is required of you.
  2. On Dec. 10, 2008, in addition to turning in paper copies of your story memo and supplementary items (discovery log, relevant clips, etc.), you will be required to bring an electronic copy of your story memo to class.  You can bring this on a diskette, CD or memory stick, or you can e-mail a copy to yourself.
  3. We will set aside some time in class to covert your memo to a PDF format for uploading to the assessments Web site.
  4. YOU MAY convert your memo to a PDF file and upload it to the class Web site before class, if you wish.  If you have advance permission from me to miss class, this uploading must be completed by the beginning of class on Dec. 10, 2008.  Instructions on creating PDF files are on the back of this handout.
  5. YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE a grade for this course until your final story memo is uploaded to the assessments site.
  6. The version of the final story memo you upload to the assessments site MUST BE IDENTICAL to the version of the final story memo you turn in on paper to me on May 12, 2008.  Any deviation from this will be considered a breach of academic integrity by the college.

 

 

Converting files to a PDF format:

  1. If you are in a College of Journalism lab:
    1. Open the Word document that has your memo.  From the menu bar across the top of the screen, select PRINT.  In the list of printers, select the one that says “CutePDF Writer.”

 

 

    1. Then click “OK” and designate the location for the PDF file.
  1. If you are at home or on your laptop, the instructions you will need to follow are listed here:
    1. Download cutepdfwriter.zip from http://jweb.umd.edu/downloads/
    2. Open the zip file (NOTE: If you do not have a program such as WinZip or PKZIP to open compressed files, you can open cutepdfwriter.zip by first downloading a free program here:  ZIP Reader 8.0.18.)
    3. Run Converter.exe
    4. Run CuteWriter.exe
    5. Then follow the directions in item #1 above