Introduction | Adapting Content | Making a Page | Finishing Up Design Considerations | Common Elements | HTML Reference | Color Table

Creating a web page is one of two options for publicly presenting your biographical report in History 338. The other option is an oral report before the class. All students are required to turn in a written version of their report. The purpose of the both forms of public presentation is to present supplemental course information to your classmates.

Both forms of public presentation should begin with the content of your written report. Therefore, at minimum, you should plan on putting the text of your written report on your web page(s) (though the order in which you present the material to your audience may be different from you written paper).

Beyond this, you should adapt the presentation to the medium you are using. Written reports, oral reports, and hypertext (web) reports need to be presented differently for maximum effectiveness. Just as students would be well advised not to read their papers before the class but instead to present their reports in a natural speaking style from an outline, students should be advised not to simply turn their written papers into long HTML files but instead to present them in an Internet-adapted form.

• Make Several Short Pages: If you've ever experienced the "World Wide Wait," you know how frustrating it can be to wait while a large file downloads to your Internet browser. While you could simply take your term paper and turn it into a single web page, this would not be an effective presentation for people viewing it on the Internet. Plan to break up the material you've written on your biographical subject into several shorter pages. People who view your page will gain access to your material more quickly if it is presented in several shorter web pages rather than one long web page.

• Use Hypertext: An advantage of the Internet over traditional methods of presenting information is the ability to use hyperlinks. This gives your audience the ability to learn by exploring and following your subject in a way that makes sense to them. The presentation of your biographical report via web pages should not be as linear as your written presentation. Provide hyperlinks on your web pages to allow viewers to jump from place to place within and among your web pages.

• Add Links: Another advantage of the Internet over traditional methods of presenting information is that the Internet makes it easy to provide supplemental information about your subject via hyperlinks. Look for opportunities to link your page to other people's pages on the Internet. For instance, a student doing a biography of Jonathan Edwards might link at several points to the "Jonathan Edwards On-line" page, located in Dallas, Texas. If the student referred to one of Edwards' writings, the student could not only describe the writing, but provide a link to the actual text of the document so the viewer could read it for himself or herself. Or, a student doing a paper on Dwight Moody or Billy Sunday might provide links to MIDI sound files which would allow the people to hear some of the musical innovations introduced by Moody's and Sunday's revivals.

• Use Graphics: The World Wide Web's graphical interface is especially effective in drawing viewers into the subject matter of web pages. Therefore, you should use multimedia, especially graphics, to create an attractive display which will enhance learning. If you see a non-copyrighted image on the web, you can easily copy it and use it on your page. For background images, right click on the background, choose "Save Background As," and select the folder (subdirectory) on your C:\ drive or floppy disk where you want the image to be saved. For other graphics, right click on the graphic, choose "Save Picture As," and select the folder (subdirectory)on your C:\ drive or floppy disk where you want the image to be saved. You can also use a scanner to make your own graphics from non-copyrighted pictures in books and other writings. Or, you can use a drawing program to make your own images.