Problem Statement: As professional graphic designers, students will need to have a solid understanding of what typography is and how

to use it effectively. First year design students have limited or no knowledge of typography terminology, uses, and standards. In order for student to progress through a graphic design program and create a portfolio that will result in a job offer they need to demonstrate their ability to use typography. Being unable to use graphic design and typographic terminology, disproportionate resizing of text, improper use of headline fonts and/or body copy, mixing many different fonts in a design and being unable to create typographical hierarchy are all symptoms of the problem. The root cause of this problem is a lack of education and experience in the subject. Instruction is the best solution to this problem because it will teach them the terminology and basic design rules to help them use typography successfully. Web based instruction (WBI) and traditional classroom lessons are both appropriate ways to deliver this type of instruction. Because graphic design is so heavily reliant on the use of technology and designers often work with clients from a distance, WBI is particularly appropriate because it not only works to teach students about typography but it teaches them to communicate with various technological tools such as email and discussion boards. Because a major goal of this course is to prepare students for future jobs the course will align with AIGA standards. The course will blend art techniques, technical proficiency and professional standards. Because this a first year course it will be assumed that the students have very limited knowledge and will focus on the basics of typography. Actuals First year college students with a desire to become successful graphic designers. Some students have more knowledge about the subject then others. Problem/Gap Typography is a very important subject in the field of graphic design and students need to have at least a basic knowledge to be successful. The prior knowledge of the students is not the same. Optimals Students grasp all major terminology of type, how to use type effectively in a layout and general use of design software. The class will be engaging and informative to all students regardless of prior knowledge.

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Preliminary Goal Statement: After taking this course students will gain a basic knowledge of graphic design and typographic terminology and have gained basic experience using graphic design software and typography effectively in their design work. Context: This course will be taught online as part of a college level communication arts program. There will be one instructor who will also serve as the instructional designer and twenty students. The professor will be equipped with a mac book pro and appropriate software to facilitate the course with and have access to the IT department at the college to assist with technical problems as they may arise. The instructor creating the course will own the rights to the instructional materials. The instructor/designer will have an expert level of knowledge to the software being used to create the course and software being taught during the course and a fair amount of general technical competency and will be able to assist students with most technical issues. For other technical problems students will be referred to college technical support department. Administrative support will function through the college, although the instructor will be teaching from a distance. Learners will be located worldwide. As part of their tuition students will have received a new 15-inch Mac Book Pro (2.4 GHz, Intel core i5 processor, 300 gigabyte hard drive) and the Adobe Creative Suite 5 Design Premium software bundle. They will be required to have regular access to a broadband Internet connection. Target Audience: For the most part learners will vary in ages from 18-25, they will be a mix of male and female, a variety of ethnicities and should all have at minimum a high school diploma or equivalent. They should be able to read at a college level and for the most part will be relatively inexperienced workers. The learners aspire to be graphic or web designers, they are artistic and enjoy using technology. They will have limited prior knowledge of the subject but will be comfortable with using computers, keyboarding, emailing, conducting web searches and will be taking courses concurrently where they will learn more about file types. This is a required course as part of a degree program. Learners may or may not have physical, visual, mobility, hearing or learning disabilities. The learners may have some anxiety as this will be one of their first online courses and they will have to open themselves up to a class community critique of their work.

Learning Task Map: Learning Task Map

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TOAB Learning Task

Outcome Assessment Item Gagnes Categories of Learning After taking this course students will gain a basic knowledge of graphic design and typographic terminology and have gained basic experience using graphic design software and typography effectively in their design work. 1.0 History of Typography 1.1 Anatomy of type 1.2 Design and typographical terminology 1.3 Identify type definitions 2.0 Type in Design 2.1 Design Principles 2.2 Readability 2.3 Design with Typographical Heirarchy 2.4 Creation of good design with hand rendered type. 3.0 Desktop publishing 3.1 Analyze layout principles 3.2 Adobe InDesign & Adobe Illustrator 3.3 Create computer layout Intellectual Skills: Defined concepts Intellectual Skills: Discrimination Intellectual Skills: Concrete concepts Intellectual Skills: Concrete concepts Intellectual Skills: Rule-using Intellectual Skills: Rule-using Intellectual Skills: Rule-using Intellectual Skills: Defined concepts Cognitive Strategies Intellectual Skills: Defined concepts Intellectual Skills: Concrete concepts Intellectual Skills: Rule-using Cognitive Strategies

Objective

Final Goal Statement: After taking this course students will gain a basic knowledge of graphic design and typographic terminology and principles. Students will have gained basic experience using graphic design software to create layouts using typography.

Implications for Design Because this is primarily an art class it will be very important that the modules look appealing and make good use of typography. Although work will be done asynchronously there will be adequate time built in for critique and discussion of artwork. It will be important to create lessons that continually build upon new skills and knowledge being learned.

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