Research Project Assignment

Download the rubric for this assignment here.

For the final six weeks of class, we will work on group projects. The project will be to create a website, the purpose of which is to identify a problem particular groups of students coming to MCC might experience and to offer solutions and/or resources for those students to be successful. Your website will also need to demonstrate that you’ve considered how that solution might best be implemented and respond to potential challenges to its implementation.

You will work in groups of three students and submit ONE website which you will compose on Google Sites. There will be many steps to this project. (potential groups: single parents, veterans, students who work full-time, students with disabilities, second-language learners, immigrant populations, Honors students, Transitional Studies students, returning adult students, etc.)

Step 1: Choose a Topic and Group.  Interview at least three members of that group (not including yourself) to find out concerns them about academic success. Choose one pressing concern that group has. Write a proposal.

Step 2: Accumulate Research about the Problem and Solutions; choose a solution to focus on

Step 3: Create a Website with the following pages within it:

  • Welcome Page that introduces the problem (300-500 words) and includes video interviews with three members of the affected group talking about the problem (2-3 minute videos)
  • Background Page that discusses the history and/or breadth of the problem (500-750 words)
  • “Argument” Page that offers a solution and discusses how to implement; opposing viewpoints and concerns will need to be addressed (1500 words)
  • An Expert Profile Page— summary of an interview with an expert at MCC or in the local community who has first-hand knowledge of the issue (250-350 words)
  • An Annotated Bibliography of at least 6 authoritative sources (entries should be 250 words each; all should be referenced in your website)
  • A Resources Page of links to at least five additional websites and a brief 1-3 sentence description of each that your audience might reference
  • An About Page with your pictures and text about members of the group

Additionally, each page on your website will need to have at least one multimodal text (some sort of visual)

Step 6: Present Final Project to your classmates