Final Project: Google Knol

Project deadline has been extended to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, December 20.

Leave the link to your Knol as a comment on this post, and send the link to me via email.

[Download a copy of this assignment sheet here]

For the final project, you will use the research and writing you have done for your blog this semester to create a Google Knol on the topic.

According to Google, a knol is “an authoritative article about a specific topic.” The contents of your knol should address the central question: “What are the most important things to know about [Your Blog Topic]?” It should be well organized, with a table of contents at the top, helpful sub-heads, and clear transitions between the sub-sections. It should be up to date with the most recent technological developments, and should contain links to further readings or additional resources. It should also be illustrated.

I recommend browsing through the knols related to your topic to get a better idea of how to go about constructing, organizing, and illustrating your own knol.

See the various Knol Help pages for additional information on:

What knols are and how they work

Basics of writing knols

Managing knols

Advanced knol techniques

Your final project will be evaluated based on how well it adheres to the “best practices” of the Google knol community. It should be written for a broad audience, relatively jargon free, authoritative in tone, and thoroughly researched. Before sitting down to write your own knol, I would recommend browsing the “good knols” listed on the best practices page.

In terms of specific assignment requirements, your final project / knol must contain:

• 2,700 – 3,000 words

• A table of contents

• Sub-divisions marked by sub-headings

• Illustrations in-text (with photo credit, if applicable)

• References in APA or MLA format

• Links to further reading/resources

The final project is worth 25% of your final grade.

Please familiarize yourself with the Google Knol platform well in advance of the deadline.