Professional
Web Site
Development

 

The syllabus is also available in a PDF format - which is better for printing
A course calendar is available online at: http://mc.coliton.com/TECH272/images/calendar.pdf

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MONTGOMERY COLLEGE
Business Science Math & Technology Division
Germantown Campus
CMAP272 – Professional Web Site Development
Instructor:
John Coliton
Spring, 2015– CRN 34320
Office:
HT 423 (240-567-6947)
HT 203 – Wed. – 9:00 – 10:40 a.m.
Office Hours:
Monday, 11:00 a.m. - Noon
Department Phone: 240-567-7722
 
Monday: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
 
 Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. - Noon
Web:
Email:
Course Description

Provides instruction for creating, uploading, and maintaining professional-quality websites containing graphics, style sheets, multimedia, and other basic enhancements using hand-coded HTML as well as Adobe Dreamweaver's fundamental tools. Topics include website development and emerging Internet technologies and trends.

PREREQUISITE: Any CMAP, CMSC, or GDES course that is two credits or more or consent of department. Assessment levels: ENGL 101/101A, READ 120. Four hours lecture/discussion each week.

Formerly CA 272. 4.000 Credit hours 4.000 Bill Hours

Course Objectives
Development and enhancement of non-technical skills
  • Speak and write about the course topics with sufficient proficiency.
  • Apply critical thinking to a variety of topics in the course.
Introduction to XHTML
  • Analyze the difference between HTML and XHTML.
  • Demonstrate basic HTML and XHTML hand-coding by creating and/or modifying Web pages efficiently.
Web Authoring Software
  • Examine the various Web authoring tools on the market and assess their ability to produce valid, accessible pages that comply with Web standards.
  • Demonstrate ability to use Dreamweaver to develop Web standards pages.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  • Create screen, print, and handheld style sheets
  • Explain use of CSS techniques in Web page presentation to
    • Format and position text
    • Float, position, and clear images
    • Position page elements strictly with CSS (no layout tables)
  • Use Internet Explorer Conditional Comments
  • Fix Bugs and add hacks for cross platform stability
Other Core Web Design Skills
  • Demonstrate ability to separate presentation (goes in style sheet) and content (goes in the XHTML document)
  • Demonstrate ability to semantically structure a page
  • Use the <div> tag as a key building block in structuring pages
  • Create templates and library items
  • Create (accessibility) skip links and format navigation links in unordered lists
  • Create pure CSS navigation buttons
  • Create data tables
  • Create accessible forms
  • Add content from Office documents to pages in a way that preserves clean code
Advertising and Web presence
  • Optimize a site for search engines and establish a presence on the Web
  • Explain how to purchase a domain name and find a Web hosting package
Copyright Issues
  • Analyze and evaluate the options available for using materials on the Web and related copyright issues
Introduction to Accessibility & Usability Issues
  • Identify universal design methods for users with disabilities
  • Identify basic considerations for web site usability
Multimedia development for the Web
  • Add multimedia elements (most universally, flash audio and video) so Web pages remain valid and accessible
Publication of Web pages to a Server
  • Create and upload web pages to a remote server using an FTP program.

Course Materials
Book

“Learning Web Design: A Beginner’s Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics” by Jennifer Robbins (ISBN: 978-1-449-31927-4) published by O’Reilly

Videos

We will be using mixed media resources this semester to complete our coursework. Some reading and exercises will come from our course text listed above. The other educational focus will be the use of training videos from Lynda.com [http://www.lynda.com].

I have set up a classroom for us on Lynda.com. You will receive an email, DIRECTLY from Lynda.com (TO YOUR MC EMAIL ACCOUNT), by January 30, 2015, inviting you to “join” the classroom. You will be required to register, and to pay the classroom fee (by credit card), which will be about $35.00. Plan NOW and figure out how you will be paying for this required resource.

Please be sure to purchase your text book as soon as possible; you will need it the first week of class. And, be sure to enroll in Lynda.com as soon as you are invited. Do NOT wait. You will miss out on a great education, and your assignments will be late!

Software & Storage

Although not required, you may also choose to purchase either Adobe Dreamweaver or the Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) edition of the software. The software is provided in the classroom and lab, but if you choose you may buy a copy at a student rate from the bookstore (or download the 30 day trial version from Adobe). You will also need a USB drive to save your work, 2 gigabytes should be sufficient, and a second to back-up your work (backups can be critical near the end of the semester).

Important Dates

The last day to drop the class with a refund is: February 1, 2015
The last day to change to audit is: February 15, 2015
The last day to drop a class without a grade is: February 15, 2015
The last day to drop a class with a grade of “W” is: April 19, 2015

Syllabus Supplement

Additional policies are at http://mc.coliton.com/SyllabusSupplementSpring2015.pdf and should be considered part of this syllabus.

Blackboard/Blended Learning Guidelines

Additional policies that are relevant to students taking courses in a blended learning format (partially in the classroom and partially online) are available at: http://mc.coliton.com/Blackboard_Guideline_Spring_2015.pdf.  

Grading Policy and Procedure

Grading is based on homework assignments, classroom assignments, online discussion, a midterm, a final project, a class presentation, and class participation. The classroom assignments require you to post work that we did in class on Blackboard by the following week.  Homework is to be posted on the web4students server by noon on Thursday of the week noted in the schedule below. Late work will not be accepted after the last class of the semester (not the final). The midterm will be drawn from the reading and lecture material and is open book. Make-up exams are not typically granted without a bona fide reason for missing the exam (court date or military service are examples). The final project will include developing a five page web site based on one of the exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution, more information regarding the project will be provided in a separate handout. The online discussions will be short writing assignments recapping what was covered during a specified time period. The class presentation will be a review of a web site that you find particularly interesting, artistic, or informative. Class participation will be based on attendance, the quality of interaction and involvement during discussions, and interaction with other students. This class may be audited (taken without the expectation of a grade) with my permission and the proper form submitted to the records office. Someone who audits the class is still expected to participate in class and complete all projects.

The grading is allocated as follows:
Final Project (in four parts)
200

Homework Assignments (10 at 20 pts. each)
200

Classroom Assignments (10 at 10 pts. each)
100

Midterm
100

Online writing assignments (5 at 10 points. each)
50

Class presentation
25
Class participation
25

Total Points:
700

 

The following distribution of points will be used to determine final grades:

A = 630 - 700 (90 - 100%)
B = 560 - 629 (80 - 90%)
C = 490 - 559 (70 - 80%)
D = 420 - 489 (60 - 70%)
F = 0 - 419 (0 - 60%)

Course Schedule and Readings
Week Topic Assignment Length
       
28-Jan Introduction Learning Web Design (book)
Part I Getting Started (chapters 1 - 3)
         
4-Feb HTML Basics Learning Web Design (book)
4: Creating a Simple Page
5: Marking Up Text
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 2:20:52
Adobe Dreamweaver 1m 4s
Introduction 5m 44s
1. The Dreamweaver Interface 1h 0m
3. Creating New Documents 36m 41s
4. Adding and Structuring Text 37m 23s
Dreamweaver CS5: Getting Started with HTML5 0:21:55
Introduction 3m 8s 2:42:47
2. Enhanced Structural Tags 18m 47s
Homework Assignment #1
Create a home page and directory structure – Due 2/13 by noon.
         
11-Feb Lists & Links Learning Web Design (book)  
6: Adding Links
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 1:21:04
5. Coding in Dreamweaver 44m 41s
8. Creating Links 36m 23s
HTML5 First Look 1:15:26
Introduction 3m 56s 2:36:30
1. Introducing HTML5 21m 12s
2. What's New in HTML5? 27m 49s
3. Creating HTML5 Documents 22m 29s
Homework Assignment #2
Montgomery College Fact Sheet – Due 2/20 by noon.
       
18-Feb Images &
Tables
Learning Web Design (book)  
7: Adding Images
8: Table Markup
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 1:55:30
7. Working with Images 1h 11m
9. Working with Tables 44m 30s
HTML5 First Look 0:41:27
4. Structuring HTML5 Documents 41m 27s 2:36:57
Homework Assignment #3
Working with tables, images and relative links – Due 2/27 by noon.
       
25-Feb Flash,
Audio &
Video
Learning Web Design (book)  
10: What's Up, HTML5
HTML5 First Look 1:01:00
6. HTML5 API Support 1h 1m
Web Accessibility 0:35:15
Introduction 2m 0s
1. Getting Started with Web Accessibility 33m 15s
Dreamweaver CS5: Getting Started with HTML5 0:28:52
4. Native Media Implementation 28m 52s 2:05:07
Homework Assignment #4
Flash animation and video – Due 3/6 by noon.
       
4-Mar Forms,
Extras &
Sites
Learning Web Design (book)  
9: Forms
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 1:52:18
2. Site Control 53m 3s
10. Working with Forms 59m 15s
HTML5 First Look 0:27:53
5. Building Forms in HTML5 27m 53s
Dreamweaver CS5: Getting Started with HTML5 0:13:00
5. Next Generation Forms 13m 0s 2:33:11
Homework Assignment #5
Creating a form and a response – Due 3/27 by noon.
      Final Project Proposal – Due 3/26 at 9:00 a.m.
       
11-Mar Midterm Exam  
   
18-Mar Spring Break
   
25-Mar Intro to CSS Learning Web Design (book)  
11:Cascading Style Sheets Orientation
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 1:19:00
6. Managing CSS 1h 19m
CSS Core Concepts 1:11:57
Introduction 4m 57s 2:30:57
1. CSS Basics 1h 7m
Homework Assignment #6
Applying styles to create a class schedule – Due 4/3 by noon.
       
1-Apr Selectors &
Conflicts
CSS Core Concepts 2:57:39
2. Targeting Page Content 2h 15m 2:57:39
3. Resolving Conflicts 42m 39s
Homework Assignment #7
Applying styles to create course descriptions – Due 4/10 by noon.
      Final Project Plans - Due 4/23 at 9:00 a.m.
       
8-Apr Text Learning Web Design (book)  
12: Formatting Text
Web Accessibility 1:06:00
4. Working with Text 1h 6m
Dreamweaver CS5: Getting Started with HTML5 0:12:11
6. New Wave Typography 12m 11s
CSS Core Concepts 1:47:00
4. Basic Text Formatting 1h 47m 3:05:11
Homework Assignment #8
Using web fonts to create an advertisement – Due 4/17 by noon.
       
15-Apr Color &
Images
Learning Web Design (book)  
13: Colors and Backgrounds
21: Web Graphics Basics
Web Accessibility 1:22:26
2. Setting Up an Acc. Testing Env. 54m 31s
6. Working with Images 27m 55s
CSS Core Concepts 0:47:51
6. Working with Color 47m 51s 2:10:17
Homework Assignment #9
Style sheets and accessibility in a photo gallery– Due 4/24 at noon.
   
22-Apr Boxes &
Layout
Learning Web Design (book)  
  14: Thinking Inside the Box
15: Floating and Positioning
16: Page Layout with CSS
Web Accessibility
3. Creating Accessible Page Layouts 26m 12s 0:26:12
CSS Core Concepts
5. Styling Container Elements 2h 1m 2:02:58
Conclusion 1m 58s 2:29:10
Homework Assignment #10
Create an online resume – Due 5/1 by noon
      Final Project and Presentation - Due 5/14 at 8:00 a.m.
       
29-Apr Lists,
Tables &
Forms
Learning Web Design (book)  
18: CSS Techniques
Web Accessibility 2:35:08
5. Creating Navigation 1h 15m 2:35:08
7. Working with Tables 34m 1s
8. Creating Forms 42m 7s
         
6-May Media
Queries &
Transitions
HTML5 First Look 0:57:33
7. Associated Technologies 57m 33s
Dreamweaver CS5: Getting Started with HTML5 0:22:39
3. CSS3 Media Queries 22m 39s
Dreamweaver CS6: Essential Training 0:33:25
11. Adding Interactivity 33m 25s 1:53:37
       
13-May Exam 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.