I'm waiting for my next usability session. Student delayed to take a test; however, nice that she told me, but leaves me hanging and I have kids to pick up in a little while. So far the tests tell me that I'm not a web designer, or at least, that I don't have the artistic sensibility to be one. I need both technical and aesthetic taste help. Interestingly, the web site favored by the last student was the WebCt site since it looked professional, on a commercial level, suggesting some sort of dependability of product.
Overall my hope is to create web materials that aren't static, but advance the learning process: to use my "weave" course design analogy with the site and orient the students according to this.
On another plane I realize that my ongoing anxiety about this project has to do with the product end of things. I am good with process, and that may be why I have taught elementary and LD students. This is process oriented. I think I have learned alot, and that my results are my process; but my products are nothing of significance, of tangible worth. It's more in the realm of knowledge, not concrete results, that you can point to and say this is what has been created.

 
I described to someone recently that I felt I was on a treadmill of self-doubt about the capstone. When I am working on it everything is fine but then later, at home, a wave like a tide washes over me of worrying about what to do next or if I am doing enough. I go for bike rides and this relaxes me partially because I process things and get some good ideas and insights and because I come back with a to-do list that then makes the going feel more managable. I guess this is part of the process. The resilence and resolve when facing a challenge and the unknown. I felt that with last summer's classes and realilze on some level it is good to remember what it is like to be a student and not to be in control. I felt less that way during the year because I was strong with the pedagogy stuff. Now with the capstone it feels as my shortcomings as a technician are glaring and eat away at me. For example I am letting go off my goal to have fully accessible and compliant web sites. I can't do the flash program to do the buttons. Then there are the html and css demands that I should have focused on more. I have been feeling good about my guidelines but as Peggy reminded me I need to provide more explanation about them for my potential audience. So there is more to do on that end.
Today I did meet with different students and set up appointments for Wed. Thurs. and Fri. of this week. Ten appointments with possibly a couple more. This should work but I haven't heard if the research proposal is approved. This could be a major setback. Marie says that she will contact me with a verbal OK as soon as she hears. I just hope that this is before Weds. at 10 when the first test happens.
I did practice the test with Rob and did a lousy job. Did not set it up well ahead of time. Did not use the timer well. The questions were not so good or rather it is not clear how helpful they will be. I learned alot about how bad the site seem. Lack of sense of orientation. All in all I guess, though, this is the point. I wonder how to draw conclusions about this.