Kirsten BlaggField Notes

2/3/13

Checkmarq Have previous knowledge and work with the system both at work and signing up

for classes Knowledge of peoplesoft notation Signing up for and searching for classes

o This allowed easy navigation through what may have been a difficult set up. I was able to easily access the section in which classes are choosen

Looking under the class search tab o Defaults to search courses rather than the browse courses tab. o Drop down menu to search for courses

In Alphabetical order Some with qualifier such as Grad program or study abroad Division are through subject area

Relatively specific – Accounting, Advanced Education, Advanced Training Dent, Advertising

Not separated by college or discipline only by subject which sometimes over laps with discipline, but not always

o Second drop down course number (need to know specific course number would only be possible with advisor advice or a checklist for graduation ect.)

Place to type in course number the drop down to contains, less than or equal to, equal to, and greater than or equal to.

o An additional expansion for additional Criteria (these have little or nothing to do with the actual content of the class)

Time Day of the week Start time End time Length

Instructor Place to type last name of instructor then additional drop

down to contains, exactly… Class number

I am not sure why this is repeated in the additional criteria because the program still uses the basic search when employing the additional search engine. (may simply be a oversight)

Number of credits This seems like and interesting criteria to decided a class

given that classes do not have a very wide variety of credits only 4 credit for classes with a lab section or quiz that is

apart from the lecture or a longer lecture. Or the 3 credit of a short only lecture based class.

Tab at top of screen to guide in section of the class choosing processo Search, Plan, Enroll, My Academicso Divided by process of signing up for classeso Each tab is then subdivided into other categories.

Under Search – Browse o Selection at the top with alphabet and number that are hyperlinked to

classes with that letter as the beginningo Nothing under the numbers – only a box informing that no classes are

available.o Alphebetization seems to be the default way in which to organize

this means that at the very least need to understand and know the discipline of the class in order to find it

finding is key to accesso Gives abbreviation that is used (along with a number) to label the class.

DANC – Dance DECS – Dental Clinical Services

o When click on the discipline (need definition of subject and discipline ect…) expands to a chart with list of class number and title

Main division is via discpine No class has two names or is under two different categories

Even the classes which are defined by Marquette as interdisciplinary (African Studies, Women and Gender Studies ect) are only under one category and title

o Note: importance of name in placing – the power of the label in defining who attends the class and what the class is about.

Under “I” There are all classes labeled as interdisciplinary These are not all groups as one but are each different with

different title and sectiono Interdisciplinary Ethics, “ “ Family Studies, “ “

International Affairs, “ “ Peace and Justice, “ “ Medieval Studies, “ “ PHD studies

Most of these classes only have one or two classeso One intro class with a Capstoneo This class listing is very small in comparison to

other disciplines o Only beginning and end with no listing of what

would fill in between (what is the impact of this, seems to separate it from other classes”

o There is no explanation of how it is interdisciplinary or how it overlaps with other classes and disciplines. (this seems to be that each of these

programs are additions to other programs rather than have the ability to stand on there own.

o Even the interdisciplinary seem to create a separation (which maybe needed for organization and classification purposes.

Maybe for organization rather than having and stacking – where the path is linear – have a course catalogue that is more like a web with classes crossing from on to the other.

Under the description of the class when a specific class is clicked on the general is for interest in X major or minor

Also a reference to the Colloquial Depatrment? PHD is different

o More classes Fellowship, TA, Dissertation, Independent

study This is not attached to any area of study as is

true for the undergraduate and graduate choices for classes

WHY? Difficult to find any classes in anyway but without specific knowledge of the

class or the discipline in which the class is under.o Defined by subject areao This is the most simple and logical way to create a system of organization,

but may lead to classes which intend to be something more than just on discipline to become confinded (through expectation and ect) to only one area of study

Where it is placed impacts the people who take the class and often students do shape the class that they participate in through what they write or say in discussions.

Most description of classes are looking for X degree or to fulfill X requirement Able to through a green bar search for classes by requirement

o This is defined by college and program – each college has a different set of core requirements and are labeled by college

o Here the divisions of requirements are not initially placed under what subject they are but by the liberal arts value they are supposed to convey to the world.

Examine the World, Engaging the World and Evaluating the world This is different from the search for classes

This is not how students talk about the core though, it is still divided up by discipline. Here it is “I still have to take one theology and one philosophy” even though the college places these classes in the broader context of examining the world.

The tabs then expand to list the specific requirementso These are more defined to areas of knowledge

Mathematical reasoning instead of math This is not only MATH courses but also containe

ARSC and COSCo The Core it seems attempts not to be defined by class

This may only be a part of the ability to organize by a different means – not have to create a name and use that alphabetically but use larger domains of knowledge

Knowledge is placed in boxes within boxes

Looking at the Marquette University Website – under Major and programs tab at the top of the main menu – blue background and words in white – on second line of the tabs towards the middle.

Further specification of undergraduate majors and minor one the Majors and Programs tab is open.

o The choice of majors is separated by college and the colleges are listed in alphabetical order

o Under the colleges the list of majors is also in alphabetical order Alphabet seems to be the default organizational system.

o Astricts * are next to each of the majors that are also a minor When click on the major opens to a separate page for that major

o In the upper left hand corner is a picture of a staff member or representation of the career or goals of that Major (a person in a court room for Crimonology, a professor reading a book for English, a bridge for engineering)

o First on the page with no additional header is a short description of the major ( a very generic but with a cheerful tone)

o Then there is a description specific to what the Marquette University program entails for this program (here because many proceptive freshment look at the site are only great opportunities and advantages).

o Box on the right hand side is a list of research done by professor the undergraduates may be able to aid in

o A list of why you may like the major o Last is bullets of what to do career wise with the majoro On top of every page is the same header – yellow with a student and

symbols of many form of knowledge around his head

Seems that then the audience of the page is not current students, but prospective freshmen

o Then the content is not geared toward students who do not understand the majors and are just looking for general outline of Marquettes programs and opportunities

Is there an online space for those who are undecided? Is a an interdisciplinary tab with majors and minors

o Introductory description that this is the best way to fit the best of a variety of subjects into a nice tight package

o Lists the Programs: African Studies, Applications of math and economics, Electronic communication, International affairs, Women and Gender Studies

Under all just list of applicable subjects and a short description of the program at Marquette.

Both Women and Gender Studies as well as International Affairs both did not have descriptions but referred to the specific program link on the main page

Here as was true in Checkmarq, each of the interdisciplinary where referred to a separate programs – though here they gave the relating subject areas and disciplines.

If click on the multi-interested tab it redirects to the same page as the undecided link

o There is no separation in content, but the titles are separated which seems to indicate that there is, to the university a reason to list both undecided and multi-interested as two separate things.

Yet, the university see no difference in the way that the two are treated.

Under the Undecided/Multi-interestedo Intro begins with reassurance – telling that undecided is Marquette’s most

popular major (I found this to be misrepresenting, it sounds like more people are

undecided than anything else) in my experience – as seen in my narrative—there seemed to be very view if any other undecided people. It may be true that they are the most on campus, but that is the most total still a small margin of people are undecided when compared with decided, but when compared with English majors there are more

It could also be that people are actually decided, but have not declared it until second semseter—this means that they already know just are not in the Marquette system as official majors.

I wonder how the statistic would be different if asked students of looked and the end of the first semester rather than at its beginning.

o “We have found that few students are truly undecided” Goes onto expand that most students are just multi-interested and

that it is only a matter of find a program that suits a students interests

Still a push that students and multi-interested “we prefer to say multi-interested”, but the title of the page remains undecided.

o Then a column under the header “Advantages to undecided” The Core – here it says is a good place for undecided to start and to

gain practice and a taste for the “nine knowledge areas” there is no specifics into what these knowledge areas are, or how they work within the core.

Next on the list in a separate is the Advising center – here Marquette University points out the advantages of

having a professional academic advisor in addition to a professor that a student would have access to in the Advising center.

It goes on to concluded that this resource will help the student select courses, choose a major and determine career goals.

o There seems to be little to no differentiation between choosing a major and choosing a career. It seems that one logically follows the other

The is a sort segment of the Majors fair – emphasis on meeting with students, facility and alumni from majors and help to choose classes and again transition into a career path – this seem that major are not areas of study, but indicative of a career path.

Then it listed two specific classes that are available to undecided students

The first “Introduction to inquiry” this fall freshmen only seminar gave an introduction into the college and potential class, major and career options.

The Second class “Career Planning and Decision Making” allows for the exploration of careers and looking at majors with a career orientated outlook.

The bottom of the page notes that having many interests is a good thing and records an vague statistic that over half of Marquette students graduate with two or more majors.

o There is a side box at the location where other major pages list research opportunities

Here there is a majors quiz and other resources – both here and on the majors page as a whole, it seems that it is oriented to

prospective students, rather than students that are already enrolled at Marquette. – See in link to campus visit and admissions office like statment promoting the Marquette experience.

This seems to imply that this is information only for students not at Marquette and should be understood and figured out by the time students arrive.