Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Criteria

• Posts
• Quantity
• There are more than enough posts dedicated to David's theme of Shakespeare and Germany. He has fifty five total posts, fifteen dedicated to Germany, and fifteen dedicated to Hamlet (which is part of his thesis).
• Content
• Variety - David has a balance of exploratory and expository posts. His last post was more of a casual post that included a recording of  Hamlet's monologue in Act 3, Scene 1 "To be or not to be". His analytical connections through out the posts are fluid and enlightening. His passion for both Germany and Shakespeare are apparent.
• Media -  David neatly incorporates media into his work, without being too distracting. I enjoyed his illustration in his post regarding theater and Nazis. As I mentioned, his last post included a voice recording, which is not a media I have seen used often on other class members blogs. This imaginative approach is also seen throughout his other posts regarding media.
• Analysis - Do some posts consist of primary texts being analyzed? There are many posts that analyze the primary text. For example in "Iambic Pentameter in German Shakespeare" David analyzes the original text in German to see if the iambic pentameter can be accomplished in German without distracting the reader. He analyzes multiple forms of media, including live theater in "The Joy of Live Theater".
• Format
• Titles - David has well matched titles that are specific and clarifying. My favorite is "Theater and Nazis".
• Jump Break ("Read Later") - David has plenty of appropriately placed jump breaks.
• Tags - David has mastered tagging. He has tagged each one of his posts.
• Research
• Thematic Focus
• David has a clean cut design that compliments his Germanic theme. He has a post dedicated to concluding his research on Hamlet and German. His theme is reflected consistantly.
• Thesis & Cohesion
• Does the hub post make a claim (take a stance, create an argument or thesis that will engage and could divide an educated audience)? Yes, David proves that Hamlet is Germany.
• Does the hub post bring together prior relevant posts through hyperlinks? Yes.
• Sources
• Are sources contributing to the research theme clearly listed in a separate "Sources" web page linked to from the hub post?
• Are sources mentioned in posts appropriately cited and linked?
• Personal & Social
• Author identity
• Is the author present to readers through a picture, an "About me" section? Yes.
• Do blog posts demonstrate a personal connection to topics? Yes.
• Does the overall design of the blog reflect the personality of the author? Yes.
• Documentation of Process
• Are there many posts in which the blog author explicitly narrates his or her personal process of inquiry? Yes.
• Interactions
• Is there evidence that the blog author interacted with others by responding to comments, or referring to interactions taking place elsewhere (online or in person)? Yes, David has gone out of his way to make comments and help those who read his blog by providing links to general Shakespeare sources.
• Design
• Are the media, color and other design choices appropriate to the personality of the author and/or the subject of research? Yes. The page looks great, as I stated previously.
• Side content - There are just enough widgets to not distract the blogger.