Syllabus

Computer Business Technology - 162

Web Page Creation

Semester/Session:	Fall 2007
Course Title:	Web Page Creation
Course CRN:	91134
Class Meets:	Online Course
Instructor:	William P. Craft
Telephone:	619-388-2799
E-Mail:	wcraft@sdccd.edu
Office Hours:	Online by arrangement

Description:

This course provides a hands-on approach to planning, designing, and creating web pages. Students learn to use HTML, XHTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to create basic pages and then entire websites that conform closely to the standards established by the World Wide Web Consortium.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course the student will be able to:

1. Plan an attractive, usable, and accessible web site.
2. Design and create web pages that include hypertext links.
3. Critique web pages made by other designers and make suggestions for improvement.
4. Add enhancements such as graphics, images, and site navigation.
5. Use HTML, XHTML (strict) and CSS to create Web pages.
6. Understand and use the basics of W3C standards for XHTML, CSS, and Acccessibility.
7. Use hand coding to construct web pages and web sites.
8. Post finished web pages to a live www location on the Internet where it can be viewed by others using any current web browser.

Evaluation:

A student's grade will be based on multiple measures of performance and will reflect the objectives set forth above. A final grade of "C" or better indicates the student has the ability to successfully apply the theory and techniques taught in this course in subsequent courses. Distance learning students will submit their course work electronically and receive electronic feedback. Important: All work--including the final project--must be complete and submitted to the instructor via WebCT by the due date for the assessment, assignment, or project. Late work will not be accepted unless the delay is approved in advance. Extensions will not be given to any date after the last day of class.

Each student will:

1. Participate in graded online discussions relating to Web Design and other Internet technologies. This may involve critiquing the work of classmates or commenting on the design and technologies used on Internet sites designated by the instructor or the student.
2. Take online quizzes covering each of 12 course content modules.
3. Complete, and submit online, various exercises and projects relating to the course content.
4. Design and produce a fully operational Web Site as his/her final project that meets the following criteria:
   1. Consists of 5 of more pages
   2. Includes a hyperlink-based navigation system to allow users to move from one page to another.
   3. Is in full compliance and validate with W3C XHTML 1.0 Strict standards. Each page will display the W3C Validation Icon, configured to connect directly to the W3C validation system.
   4. Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS 2.1) to control the presentation of all pages.
   5. Meets basic ADA/508 accessibility requirements.
5. Post designated web exercises and the final project on a live Internet-based website that is controlled by the student.

All exercises and the final project will be evaluated by the instructor, who will look for the following:

1. The Application of W3C standards-compliant planning and design principles for creating Web sites and pages.
2. The ability of the student to separate semantic content from style and presentation features on all web pages.
3. Appropriate use of images and tables within web pages.
4. The use of CSS 2.1 to control visual features and presentation on all website pages.
5. The use of CSS 2.1 to control the layout and positioning of content on all pages.
6. Application of W3C testing procedures to ensure XHTML and CSS is valid.

This course may be taken for grade only. The final grade will be determined using the following weighting of evaluation measures:

Method of Instruction

This class will be conducted as a distance education class using Web CT(also known as My Blackboard). There will be no on-campus or face-to-face meetings except for on-campus office-hours if requested by the student. Usually, office hours may be conducted using Live Classroom within the WebCT system or by email.

Text and Supplies Required:

Textbook:

Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML by Elisabeth Freeman & Eric Freeman; Published by O'Reilly; ISBN-10 0-596-10197-x

This book is absolutely mandatory. I can not imagine how you could complete this course without a personal copy of the textbook. It is very inexpensive compared to most textbooks used today.

Other:

Each student must arrange with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for a place on the Internet to publish the required web-based exercises and the final project website required by this course. A "personal web site" is offered for free by many ISP's such as Cox and Time Warner. However, these sites have limits. They will be good enough for this introductory class, but if you are serious about becoming good at webdesign, it is recommended that you establish an actual website with a dedicated domain name. (My site is called http://www.craftwebproject.com ) In addition to using it for this class, this sort of web site can serve as an "online portfolio" as you develop your web skills. Moreover, a dedicated website will allow you to establish interactive web pages that tie to a database. It will also allow you to set up email under your own domain name. During the course the way to do all this will be covered. Ususally a website provided by a reliable web hosting company can be established for less than $10 per month. Please see Learning Module 4 for more details.

Computer Skills Advisory:

To take this course you should be comfortable with your computer. You don't need to know a thing about web design since we will be starting at the basic level. However, if you have already taken other courses in webdesign, this one will still be useful for you. We are going to be covering the very latest in web coding including XHTML (strict) and Cascading Style Sheets CSS 2.1. If you have taken a class in Dreamweaver or Front Page, this class will help you understand why those programs sometimes "get confused" when they are used to create webpages automatically. If you have basic familiarity with computer terms and know how to use basic programs you should be OK. If you are a tech genius, so much the better. It can't hurt.

Attendance Requirements:

District Policy 3110 discusses class attendance. Since this class consists of 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of lab, you should expect to be on line about 4 hours per week. To do this you need to log on at least once per week, preferably much more often. If you send me an email I will try to respond the same day. This is not the sort of course you can let go for weeks at a time and then expect to catch up. If you work at a steady pace you will succeed. You should also plan on some time in addition to online time to do your assignments. It is hard to say how much time is required since it varies from person to person, but I think you will need several hours per week to do the reading and to work on your assignments.

Instructor Response Time:

One of the things that make online classes useful is that you can work on the class when it fits into your schedule. I plan to log on every day, but I am not sure exactly when. Unfortunately, I might not be online when you have a question. I will make every attempt to answer any email you send me with in 24 hours. I should never exceed a 48 hour response time. If you send me an email and do not get a reply from me within 48 hours, please call my office at the college (619-388-2799) and speak with my secretary. She will help you track me down. However, please use email first and call her only as a last resort.

District Policy 3110 discusses class attendance. Since this class consists of 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of lab, you should expect to be on line about 4 hours per week. To do this you need to log on at least once per week, preferably much more often. If you send me an email I will try to respond the same day. This is not the sort of course you can let go for weeks at a time and then expect to catch up. If you work at a steady pace you will succeed. You should also plan on some time in addition to online time to do your assignments. It is hard to say how much time is required since it varies from person to person, but I think you will need several hours per week to do the reading and to work on your assignments.

Disruptive Students

You must treat your classmates in a repectful manner. Even though we are online and we are using the Internet, we all still have a right to privacy and a right to a non-threatening and non-hostile environment.

Remember that when you write something in an email or discussion, the people reading it can not see your expression or hear your tone of voice. Go out of your way to be polite when you interact on line.

Students who are disruptive are subject to disciplinary action and will be removed from class in accordance with SDCCD Policy 3100.

Students with Disabilities

If you think you may need academic accommodations to complete this course, please contact me by email and tell me what accomodations you request during the first two weeks of class. The sooner the better, since we will have to coordinate all accomodations with DSPS.

Schedule:

The course will progress according to the schedule established in the WebCT class calendar. Although I don't expect to do so, I reserve the right to change the schedule with prior notice.