The Annotated Vita (AV) design

"The Annotated Vita" Design

Learning Goals

The general learning goal for the candidate is to recognize the nuances of an "information rich" curriculum vita (cv). This can be accomplished by achieving subgoals:

understanding differences in unit-level, institution-level and culturally-based criteria
presenting information relevant to these standards
recognizing how strengths and weaknesses in the presentation affect outcomes, and can drive future career choices.

User Goals

The overall goal for the user is to produce a well-crafted cv via participation in a real-world discussion about cv preparation. Various characters in a casual setting present issues that affect inclusion or presentation of elements in a cv. Subgoals for the user in creating the cv are:

to access general information about a cv
to access case-specific information about preparing a cv
- answering multiple-choice questions posed by situational dialogue
- understanding the critical analysis provided by a "mentor"
to access relevant bibliography regarding issues represented in the multiple-choice questions

Content Design

Introduction text to the activity
Topical outline of elements and factors
- All elements of a cv
- All factors affecting inclusion or presentation of cv elements
Composite descriptions of elements/factors relevant to each case study
Career Accounts of three case studies
Dialogue
- Setting
- Characters
- Script
Feedback to answering
"Scoring" (cv build)
Cv analysis
- general comments
- specific comments
  - new xml file for comments not already in existing references
  - ADEPT bibliography
  - GaTech resources

Interaction Design

Interaction is designed to make the storytelling as believable as possible. In the introduction, the user explores elements and factors affecting presentation of the elements. User then selects a case study, and reads about factors that might affect the candidate's cv. The user then answers questions about the candidate's teaching, service and research career. Answers affect if and how items are included in the cv. When the final cv is displayed, an overall analysis is presented, allowing the user to review how his/her choices have affected the cv. Selected items in the cv can show more detail, including the relevant citation and its annotation (if applicable). The citation can be bookmarked for later reference. Users can go back to the "play" and change answers to questions. Then the new cv shows how these changes have affected the cv.

Graphic Design

Different game metaphors were explored, including:

strategic-type games (Risk, Civilization, Chess)
building-type games (legos, lincoln logs, erector sets)
storytelling

Storyboards of themes explored :

A storytelling metaphor was chosen. The Annotated Vita is divided into five components:

introduction (which includes background information about a cv, and how to play the game), and
four ways to interact (for better task conformance):
- exploring general cv issues
- building a cv — This component is designed as a social setting in which the user participates (as the "candidate") in dialogue to discover issues in preparing a cv
- analysis (reviewing and/or editing the final cv) outside the dialogue
- perusing full online ADEPT bibliography

The prototype will be designed using three existing case studies (Sorel, Richards, Anders). Other criteria for design are:

to provide background information about a cv in a passive manner
- components
- factors affecting their inclusion and/or presentation
storytelling metaphor
employ graphical or animated feedback incrementally during the "play"
maintain immersion by not allow user editing during "play"
employ graphical or animated feedback at end of play (during "review")
allow user editing during "review"
show immediate and obvious changes to the cv during "first draft" and after editing
adaptive re-use of already-established references and bibliography
allow content developers to customize by adding case studies specific to their institution's needs

Graphic elements needed:

Introduction screen
Game setting (on-campus coffee shop)
Graphical representation of elements and factors that can affect a cv. Each character represents (first) a LEVEL at which he/she influences - unit, department, institute; (second) in what AREA they mostly influence - research, teaching, service; (third) an outside FACTOR - religion, gender, family, financial, etc.
- on stage (any combination)
  - candidate for promotion and/or tenure (required)
  - mentor (required)
  - colleague (current)
  - colleague (past)
  - faculty
  - faculty (interdisciplinary)
- cell phone (external world; personal and professional)
  - child
  - publisher
  - collaborator on grant, presentation, article, special issue, or conference
  - request from an NSF program officer that Anders be a reviewer or panel reviewer
  - home improvement contractor
- laptop (external world and internal world; professional)
  - requests for information for accepted article in process
  - invitation to speak at a seminar at another university
  - rejection for an article
  - e-bay e-mail
  - student e-mails
  - access to ADEPT project, the downloadable software and links to supporting resources
- document (internal or external)
- cashier (external world)
- visitors to the cafe (internal; professional)
  - department head
  - student
  - another colleague
Graphical and/or animated representation of feedback ("answering")
Graphical and/or animated representation of final cv ("scoring")
Graphical representation of cv analysis