Syllabus for ITWM-1010 - Creating Web Pages with HTML and JavaScript

Cuyahoga Community College, Western Campus, Fall, 2007
http://instruct.tri-c.edu/rrichmond/html/syllabus.htm

Section 84146              MW 06:00 PM-07:50 PM             Room GT215     3 Credits

Instructor:   Robin Richmond, Ph.D.  (Adjunct Faculty)
(216) 281-5554 (home)
robin.richmond@tri-c.edu

Office Hours: Immediately before or after class in classroom, or by appointment

Course Description:

This course is intended to provide a solid technical grounding in the design and construction of web pages and web sites, and the use of HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and JavaScript.  Students will build web pages and web sites for class assignments, and should leave with the ability to create useful real-world web sites.

This is not a graphics design class.  Although we will cover elements of web page design and presentation, including the use of graphics and colors, we will spend little time discussing how to use graphics design packages or how to build graphically sophisticated sites.

I hope to leverage students’ own real-world knowledge, and work, home, hobby, or school environments in the classroom and in assignments. 

Prerequisites:

The course prerequisites are IT-1050 Programming Logic, and IT-1030 Internet Fundamentals.  Thus, students are expected to understand the basics of HTML and of computer programming, such as 

  1. what HTML  is & where it came from,
  2. how a web page is generally structured,
  3. basic HTML text formatting tags (including lists),
  4. images and hyperlinks,
  5. how to create and upload a simple web page, and
  6. interpretation, variables, objects, loops, and functions or subroutines.

Performance Objectives: 

Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will:

  1. Understand:
    • HTML & CSS  syntax and functionality
    • Standards and practices set by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
    • Capabilities and limitations of various Web browsers, and how this variation affects web design.
    • Critical differences between the use of  HTML and WYSIWYG tools to build web pages
    • The basics of the HTML Document Object Model (DOM)
    • JavaScript syntax and the role and use of JavaScript in web pages.
  2. Be able to:
    • Create and test web sites that incorporate hyperlinks, lists, font variants, tables, images and image maps, forms, colors and backgrounds, style sheets, and multiple web pages.
    • Use HTML and Style Sheet standardstest pages for standards compliance
    • Create dynamic web pages that use client-side scripts to process forms and display information about the user or browser

Text & Materials:

Coverage of Textbook Topics

As web technology develops, more and more features and specifications become more and more common.  At this point, we cannot cover all of HTML, Style Sheets, JavaScript, and XTML in one course.  My ambitions this semester are to focus on less HTML detail than the book does, devote a bit more attention to styles and style sheets (which are increasingly important), and introduce JavaScript and XHTML at about same level as the book..  I also plan to rely on you to learn more detail from the book and other reference sources, and to ask questions and raise problems (including real-world problems) that allow us to cover details based on class interest rather than on my (or the book’s) arbitrary choices.

Instructor’s Expectations

Students must utilize a variety of resources to gather the information necessary to complete assignments.  Developing web sites is generally a fun and rewarding team effort, but if you ignore important principals or participants, you will find the that some users will ultimately be disappointed, and you will likely have to do rework that will keep you from moving on to new and rewarding sites.

Information Technology (IT) is much more than just programming.  IT professionals are business people as well as technical people, and must be able to communicate clearly, both in writing and verbally (including presentations).  Thus, all material handed in for this class should demonstrate the proper attention to structure, grammar and spelling, and style.  (Yes, spelling mistakes can affect grades.)

Assignments must be completed individually so that you receive the full benefit of the class. However, it is also important to work with, and help, colleagues both in class and at work when practical and permissible.  For some assignments and exercises, you will be required to work alone, and for others, cooperation will be encouraged.

If you have problems completing the assignments on time, it is your responsibility to me so that we can make appropriate arrangements.  Refer to the online syllabus for all schedules and assignments.  If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are up to date on changes.

Assignments will be submitted electronically.  Be sure to save ALL of your work for the course until you receive your final grade.  Keep backup copies of all work submitted.  Neither I nor the college is responsible for lost or damaged files.

Assignments, Tests, and Grading:

Grades will be based upon in-class participation, at least two exams, and homework assignments, including at least one project of some substance.  Exams will require students to perform some web page or XML tasks online, and to answer short-answer, multiple choice, and True/False questions, and to hand-write HTML, JavaScript, Style Sheet, and/or XHTML code.

Since the class content is essentially cumulative, you can assume that all tests will also be cumulative.  In general, homework grades will be based on technical aspects of the assignment (HTML or JavaScript coding, appearance, and structure) rather than the subject matter of the web page text, but some assignments will require that class content be presented as web page content. 

Although much of the course content is technical in nature, and can be assessed objectively (i.e. it is fairly easy to determine if the required elements are on a web page, or if a form works properly), some subjectivity does remain, and you cannot expect your grade to be fully determined by technical aspects of your assignments.

You will need to submit most homework assignments electronically.  Homework assignments are due on the specified date at the start of class.  Late work will be subject to penalties.

Your grade will be based on:

  1. In-class participation (including completion of exercises and homework, and the submission of problems or solutions that can be used as examples in class) – 15%
  2. Homework (excluding project) – 25%
  3. Project – 25%
  4. 3 Exams, including the Final – 35%

Attendance:

Students will be expected to complete exercises that are assigned during classroom lab time, and will be responsible for material covered in class that is not necessarily in the textbook or on handouts.  College policy permits instructors to withdraw a student for excessive absence if the student has missed the equivalent of two weeks of instruction, unless arrangements satisfactory to the instructor can be made by the student to demonstrate that he/she can make acceptable academic progress.

Netiquette and Classroom Conduct:

Some lab time will be available during each class, and students will be permitted some leeway to take notes and perform class-related tasks on the classroom PC’s during lectures.  However, printing (except when requested by the instructor) disruptive online activity, or non-class-related activity will not be permitted.  In addition, students will be expected to follow rules of netiquette in any online assignment, and when using class-specific online resources.

Make-Up Policy:

If the student has a valid reason (sickness, job interview, family situation, etc) for missing tests or late assignments, the student must formally request a make-up and the make-up is at the discretion of the instructor. The instructor reserves the right to request written proof (document from employer, doctor, etc) from the student. Any attempt to take unfair advantage of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary action, according to college policies.

Withdrawal:

Withdrawal from courses must be done in writing and on forms provided by the college.  A student's failure to attend classes will not constitute an official withdrawal.  Specific withdrawal dates (generally up to the last day of the twelfth week) are available in the Campus Admissions and Records Offices or published in the schedule of courses.

Incomplete (I) Grades:

A notation of "I" indicates that a student has not completed all course requirements as a result of circumstances judged by the instructor to be beyond the student's control.  A student must complete all course requirements no later than the end of the sixth week of the academic term in which the "I" was noted.  Failure to complete such requirements will result in an "F" (failing) grade. 

Academic Credit:

In order to award one semester hour of college credit, the Ohio Board of Regents requires two hours of significant student study outside of class for each one-hour in class for the equivalent of an academic semester (16 weeks). 

Schedule and Requirements are Subject to Modification