1. Introduction.

This stage of the methodology is concerned with clarifying the parameters of the project, laying down aims and constraints which will govern the remainder of the project, and which will be benchmarks for its final evaluation. No real 'design' is done at this point, it is rather a matter of pinpointing the role which the product will fulfill when it is finished, and of ensuring that the product makes sense in the overall plans of the sponsoring/producing institution.

2. Overview of Activities.

Analysing context involves:

1. Making a clear statement of purpose; saying what the product is and why it is being produced.
2. Analysing the audience; ensuring that the product has a clear market.
3. Specifying objectives; making a clear statement of the benefits of the product and the constraints under which it is being produced.

3. Statement of Purpose.

A statement of purpose should not be very lengthy, but it should have these characteristics:

1. The nature of the project should be clearly stated. The kind of product and its content should be apparent. It should be clearly worded to capture the attention.
2. It should be apparent why the product is being proposed. Its most striking and beneficial qualities should be highlighted.
3. It should be apparent who is intended to benefit from the product.

4. Audience Analysis.

Audience analysis can be very lengthy; however, for student purposes, a few clear points should suffice:

1. The primary audience should be identified as a group (e.g. schoolchildren, aged 9-10, studying English history 1066-1100). Any secondary audiences (e.g. parents of schoolchildren above) should be identified as a group.
2. The major characteristics of the audiences above should be listed (e.g. educational attainments, linguistic skills, interests).
3. The contexts in which the product will probably be used should be identified (e.g. in the classroom during history lessons, at home doing homework).

5. Objectives.

Objectives should be clearly spelt out under three headings:

1. Benefits for the audience: the 'value added' seen from the user's perspective (e.g. improved examination results).
2. Benefits for the sponsoring/producing organisation (e.g. increased revenues from educational sales).
3. Constraints under which project will proceed: resource limitations (time, money, personpower, etc.), production technologies, target technologies.

Take each of the headings and bullet points above and fill them out appropriately for your assignment application. Make decisions about the purpose of the application, the audience for whom it is intended, and the benefits that will be derived from it - also think about the constraints imposed by your skills and the available technologies. Write these decisions up neatly, as they will be directly pasted into your assignment documentation. Do this well and you will probably have already banked 10% of your marks by Week 6 ... which isn't bad going.