As the goals for the Online Writing Center have changed, so have the demands on the project staff. Specifically, my role as programmer has shifted from one of figuring out how to get content on the Web to balancing our goals for the project with the capabilities of the available technology. This is reflected in two key areas. First, as the number of people involved with this project has increased, their roles have become more specialized. My role has shifted from strictly coding the content to providing a continuity across the entire Web site. I have focused in particular on ensuring a continuity that allows the presentation of different viewpoints and different styles, yet at the same time does not appear to a reader as disorganized or haphazard. Second, as we have worked to take advantage of new technologies and tailor them to fit the goals of the center, we have also worked to ensure that the teachers and students we are trying to serve do not feel as if they have been left in the wake of rapidly advancing technology. This emphasis underscores the need to look beyond the code driving the Web site to the needs of the people that the Online Writing Center is trying to reach. In this talk, I will address these issues from the perspective of project programmer. In addition, drawing on my experiences as a member of the project team, I will explore how the Online Writing Center has changed over time, shifting from an instructional software development project to a basis for creating dialogue among members of the University community.

Presenter: Luann Barnes

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Target Audience: Not Applicable

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