Revised: March 18, 2002
Northern Virginia Community College - Annandale Campus
Web Page Design I, Spring 2002, 3 credits
IST 129-60N, MW1330-1620, CT234 (first 8 weeks)
IST 129-80N, MW1330-1620, CT234 (second 8 weeks)
Instructor: Dr. William M. Pegram, wpegram@nvcc.eduWeb Site for Class: http://www.erols.com/wpegram (most up-to-date)
Alternative site for class: http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/wpegramCourse Description and Objectives
This course is a hands-on introduction to Web Page Design, with an emphasis on HTML as opposed to design. You will learn how to (1) handcode web pages with text, links, images, tables, forms, frames, and imagemaps, (2) put them on the world wide web, and (3) use (at an introductory level) HTML editing and image editing programs.
Computers
This classroom is used by other classes and other students. This means you have a responsibility when using the computer to avoid making changes that will adversely affect other users. Such changes result in complaints by other instructors to lab management and other offices within the college, and tend to lead to installation of software to prevent the user from changing anything which often makes it difficult to get work done. If you have a problem with the setup of the computer (e.g. screen resolution), please discuss it with me before making changes. Unless directed otherwise by me, put all files onto a floppy or my documents on the c drive. You are free to create folders within my documents.
Floppy Disks
You will want to bring a floppy disk to class so that you can save your work. If you forget to bring a disk, you can save your work to the c drive and then send an email to yourself with the file as an attachment.
Attendance:
If you miss class, please check the class website for any changes to the schedule, including new assignments. When class is cancelled due to inclement weather or instructor absence, assignments will be pushed back to the next class date. Because this is an 8 week class, week-long absences due to travel, family emergencies, illness, etc. will likely require extra effort on your part to stay caught up.
Office Hours: Before or after class.
One on one help: In addition to office hours, all class periods will have time for substantial one-on-one assistance from the instructor. Particularly if you are having difficulty with this class, I strongly urge you to take advantage of this. Asking questions in this way is generally more efficient than email. In addition, the Tutoring Center on the 4th floor of the CG building offers one hour per week per class of free tutoring, and more if the tutoring is done in groups.
Texts:
I would suggest one of the following three books for this class. All emphasize HTML, which is my emphasis. I will place less emphasis on design, which is the focus of the Web Style Guide. Although you need not use a book, I think you will find it convenient to have one. For example, at least one of the tests will be open notes, open book etc., and looking something up in a book is probably quicker than looking it up on the internet.1) The HTML Web Classroom, Paul Meyers, ISBN 0-13-796111-1, 1998, $46.67. This book is good and has been consistently liked by students, but it has a few typos and is relatively expensive. It's in the bookstore.
2) Teach Yourself HTML Visually, ISBN 0-7645-3423-8. $30. I and most students like this book although some may be put off by all the pictures and few words. I have copies of this book if you want one.
3) Web Design in a Nutshell, Second Edition, Jennifer Niederst. ISBN 0-596-00196-7. $30. This is the book I always turn to as the definitive reference. It probably isn't a good textbook, but if you have already some background or think you can get along without a basic text, this may be the book you will want to buy. This book covers the course material at a greater level of detail than we will do in the course. I've used the first edition of this book a lot, and have just received the second edition.
Required Email Address and Host for Web Page:
Students must provide email the instructor with an email address and web page address for the work you will do in this class. Provide the email address that is most convenient for you, which may or may not be your NOVA email address. In all emails to the instructor, please include the course number in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email.
In most cases, you will host your web site at NOVA or at your Internet Service Provider, if you have one. You should not host your site at a free service like Geocities for two reasons: (1) using a free service will result in ads on your site and your site will be slower to load, and (2) free services often offer file transfer programs that are initially easier to use than the file transfer program taught in this course, but are much less powerful.
NOVA provides 2MB of free web space to each student which should be more than adequate unless your site is very unusual (e.g., containing a number of large files - sound, image, PowerPoint files, etc.). Furthermore, I have had students host sites larger than 2MB at NOVA with no problem. Students must have a NOVA email account for them to have web space at NOVA, therefore all students should gain access to their NOVA email at the beginning of the semester unless they plan on hosting their site elsewhere.
Grading Policy:
First Midterm (25%), Second Midterm (25%), Final (25%), and Project (25%). Although this suggests that homework is unimportant, quite the opposite is true. The best way to prepare for the exams is to give your best on each assignment and do it in a timely fashion so that you get feedback from the instructor. I use the college grading scale (A: 90-100, B: 80-90, C:70-80, D 60-70, F - below 60) as a rough guide in assigning final letter grades but choose the dividing lines between letter grades once all the grades are in.
Assignments
Please complete the assignments on time so that I will have an opportunity to review them and give you comments before I discuss them in class. If you must miss an exam, please contact the instructor so that he can arrange for a makeup exams through the Testing Center.
Academic Integrity
In general, students are expected to follow the Information Technology Student Ethics Agreement as posted in computer areas and academic integrity standards as set down in the Student Handbook.
In addition, I want to give you specific guidance regarding the following issues:
(1) On graded homework assignments and projects, students may ask for and receive some assistance from others, unless otherwise directed by the instructor. Yet those helping a student should avoid "doing the work" for the student. If students receive significant assistance from others, the student should give credit to these individuals. No assistance is permitted on exams and quizzes.
(2) Academic integrity issues are also involved where in work submitted for a grade:
(a) the student has made substantial use of material from elsewhere on the web or from other sources,
(b) the instructor might reasonably conclude that the work was the student's own work, and
(c) no credit is given, either on the web page or as a comment in the HTML code.In cases where the use was inadvertent or relatively minor, the student will simply be reminded to correct the deficiency.
(3) In instances where it is clear that the material is not one's own (e.g. a photo that the student would not have taken), no academic integrity issues are involved. In these instances, attribution is still useful however. For example, if the student wishes to make commercial use of the material at some future date, it may be necessary to get permission to utilize the material. If one has not made attributed the source when the page was created, one may very well forget the source of the material and thus be unable to get permission. Failure to attribute sources in these instances will only result in the student losing a few points.
These issues will be discussed again during the class on finding and using images on the web and during the class on the website proposal.
Web Site Proposal:
The proposal is intended to require the student to think through the web site and to get instructor input before the beginning of coding. The proposal need not be no more than a page or two in length. Further guidance on the content of the proposal will be distributed.
Web Site Presentation and Project:
Each student will present their web to the class so that each student will have the opportunity to learn from each other. You will not be graded on the presentation, only on the project, but those who are not ready to present will be penalized.
Dropping or Withdrawing from the Class
For the first session, Friday, January 18 is the last day to "drop" the class, and thus get your money back for the course and textbooks, and Monday, February 18th is the last day to "withdraw" from the class or change to audit. For the second session, the drop date is Monday, March 25th and the "withdraw/change to audit date" is Monday, April 22. If you haven't withdrawn from the class or switched to audit by that date, you will receive a grade at the end of the 8 week semester based on the work you have completed in the class. If you think you have dropped or withdrawn from the class, make sure of this. The project and final together are worth 50% of your grade, so if you don't do either, you will receive an F for the class.
Incompletes:
Instead of giving incompletes, I will change the submitted grade if the missing work is submitted after the end of the 8 week semester. There is no deadline for you to complete this work, but in almost every case where my students have not submitted the work within a week or so of the end of class, no work has every been submitted, so you should make every effort to complete the work within the allotted time.
Auditing
Policies regarding auditors vary by instructor but the college desires that we impose at least a minimum requirement that you attend class. My requirement for auditing is that you attend at least 75% of the class sessions. As the course develops, you should make also clear to me whether you will be doing homework assignments or not so I know whether to look for them or not on your website.
Learning Environment
NVCC is a place for learning and growing. You should feel safe and comfortable anywhere on this campus. In order to meet this objective, you should: a) let your instructor, his/her supervisor, the Dean of Students or Provost know if any unsafe, unwelcome or uncomfortable situation arises that interferes with the learning process; (b) inform the instructor within the first two weeks of classes if you have special needs or a disability that may affect your performance in this course.
Fire/Emergency Evacuation Procedures
Students should familiarize themselves with both the primary and secondary routes that are to be used, in case you need to evacuate the building, as well as other evacuation procedures to be followed.