The Campus Directions Project

Overview

Project Goals

This project is designed to accomplish several goals:

  • Help you consider some of the complexities of writing directions
  • Help you think about how people go about following directions
  • Have you consider how to coordinate your work with a team
  • Give you a chance to have a little fun
  • Get you out of the classroom for a change

Project Overview

Think of this project as a campus scavenger hunt. Your team will be placing multiple copies of sets of directions and parts of a quote around campus. Then other teams will follow your directions and go around campus collecting your quotes.

Fun and Creativity

This project is about as much fun as I can make technical writing, so I want you to have a good time with it! Start off by picking a good quote. Then, as you write your directions, try to make them interesting and creative. In the past people have included directions like “Step 2: Pause for two minutes and ponder the meaning of life” and “Step 7: Consider how lucky you are to not be in the classroom listening to Dr. Pagnucci ramble on about some boring technical writing concept!” Feel free to have some fun; just remember to also write directions that help people successfully find all your clues.

The Rules

For this project to work, you have to follow a few simple rules. The first rule is do NOT use the building names when you write your directions. If your directions just say, go to Keith Hall, there’s no challenge to following the directions. Instead, I want you to write directions like, “Go down the stairs, turn left, walk about 25 steps, enter the building on your left, etc.”

The only other rules it that your group has to work in relative SECRECY. So, as you are working, don’t shout out your quote so everyone else in the class hears it.

Sample Project

Here’s a sample to help you understand how the Campus Directions Project is supposed to work.

Quote Assignments

Team A has 4 members and picks the following quote:

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

  • Member 1 is assigned “be, that is”
  • Member 2 is assigned “not to”
  • Member 3 is assigned “the question.”
  • Member 4 is assigned “To be or”

Notice that the team has mixed up the quotation parts to make the task more challenging. If the quote is too obvious, people might just guess what it is without following your directions.

You can, of course, try to be more clever with your quote. For instance, you might want to make each part of your quote a riddle. Your team will get bonus points for creativity. Just remember that the quote should not be impossible to figure out.

Building/Directions Assignments

Next, each team member is assigned one part of the path:

  • Member 1 is assigned from Leonard to the Library (where “be, that is” and Member 2’s directions to Keith Hall will be posted).
  • Member 2 is assigned from the Library to Keith Hall (where “not to” and Member 3’s directions to the HUB will be posted).
  • Member 3 is assigned from Keith Hall to the HUB (where “the question” and Member 4’s directions to Gordon Hall will be posted).
  • Member 4 is assigned from the HUB to Gordon Hall (where “To be or” will be posted

Concluding the Search

Be sure that the final envelopes you post include a note that says Your Search is Done or Final Stage or something like that so the other teams will know they have found the final clue.

Who Posts What Where?

It can get a little confusing knowing who has to post which part of the quote and which part of the directions where. You will post your directions in one building and your quote in anotherbuilding. One of your teammates will then post their directions alongside your quote in one building and then post their quote in a different building. So everything needs to be linked together.

Keep in mind that 3 other teams need to be able to follow along behind you, collecting your quote pieces and your direction sheets. If you only post 1 copy of your quote, later teams won’t be able to complete your puzzle.

Once everything is posted, it’s a good idea for your whole team to walk your route and make sure you can assemble your puzzle.

Be sure to tell groups when they have reached found the final clue!

A Sample of the Postings

Member 1 then writes directions on how to get from Leonard Hall room 202 (where our class meets) to the bulletin board on the 2nd floor of the Library. He prints 4 copies of these directions. He will give one copy to the instructor and hand out the other 3 copies to the other 3 teams in class. He then goes to the Library and posts 3 copies of his quote section “be, that is” in 3 envelopes on the Library’s 2nd floor bulletin board.

Member 2 writes directions for how to get from the 2nd floor bulletin board in the Library to the bulletin board outside room 137 in Keith Hall. Member 2 adds his directions to the 3 envelopes that Member 1 posted on the Library’s 2nd floor bulletin board. He then posts 3 copies of his quote section “not to” in 3 envelopes on the bulletin board outside room 137 in Keith Hall.

Member 3 writes directions for how to get from the bulletin board outside room 137 in Keith Hall to the 1st floor bulletin board of the HUB. Member 3 adds her directions to the 3 envelopes that Member 2 posted on the bulletin board outside room 137 in Keith Hall. She then posts 3 copies of her quote section “the question” in 3 envelopes on the 1st floor bulletin board in the HUB.

Member 4 writes directions for how to get from the 1st floor bulletin board in the HUB to the 3rd floor bulletin board in Gordon Hall. Member 4 adds her directions to the 3 envelopes that Member 3 posted on the 1st floor bulletin board in the HUB. She then posts 3 copies of her quote section “To be or” (the final part of the quote) in 3 envelopes on the 3rd floor bulletin board in the Gordon Hall.