Assignments
Grading
Schedule of Topics/Readings
This schedule is subject to change and revision; the latest version will
always be on this page. (All readings should be done prior to class.)
- Topic 01: Introduction to WYSIWYG Web Page Editors (January 20)
- Exercise 1: Using a WYSIWYG Web page editor
Reading: Lesson 1 , Niederst pp. 29-31
Online Reading: Web Tools http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webtools.html
- Topic 02: Server Side Includes and Maximizing your Page Exposure (January 20)
- Exercise 2: Using meta tags, Server Side Includes and boilerplate
Reading: Niederst Nutshell Chapter 18 & pp. 113-114
Online Reading: Meta Tags/Promoting Your Page http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/metatags.html
Using Server Side Includes http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/ssi.html
Note: With the understanding that reading for the first day could not be done in advance, it is important to go back and complete these readings
- Topic 03: Typography & Graphic Design for the Web (January 27)
- Exercise 3: Designing Graphical Text Elements
Reading: Niederst Chapters 14 &15, Williams Chapters 10 & 11, Niederst Nutshell pp. 31-36
Online Reading: Graphics Tools http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/graphicstools.html
- Topic 04: Using Photographs and Imagemaps (January 27)
- Exercise 4: Creating an Imagemap
Readings: Niederst Nutshell Chapters 19-22 & pp. 154-160, Niederst pp. 43-46
Optional Readings: Ditto 165-167
Online Reading: Photos and Imagemaps http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webphoto.html
- Topic 05: Basic Page Design Concepts (February 3)
- Exercise 5: Examining online designs
Reading: Williams Chapters 5 & 6; Niederst Chapter 5, Niederst Nutshell Chapters 2-3
Online Reading: Web Design Fundamentals http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webdesign.html
- Topic 06: The Page Grid and Page Templates (February 3)
- Exercise 6: Creating a page template
Online Resources: Web Page Grid Template http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/Gridtool.pdf
Web Page Pixelmeasure Template http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/pixelmeasure.html
- Topic 07: Web Site Proposals & Final Project Discussion (February 10)
- Exercise 7: Final Project Proposal and Design
Online Reading: Web Site Proposals http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/proposals.html
- Topic 08: User Interface Design & Web Site Structure (February 10)
- Exercise 8: Designing a Web site: top-down and bottom-up with
a user interface for your site
Reading: Williams Chapters 4 & 7; Niederst Chapter 18
Online Reading: Web User Interface Design http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webui.html
Yale/AIM Style Manual http://imc.iit.edu/internet.access/manual/
- Topic 09: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) (February 17)
- Exercise 9: Use of CSS to control page appearance across a
site
Readings: Niederst Nutshell Chapter 17
Online Reading: Cascading Style Sheets http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/css.html
- Topic 10: Color Theory & Context (February 17)
- Exercise 10: Color in Context: Color in Tables and CSS
Readings: Niederst Chapter 12; Color supplement to lesson 10 [3,252 kb zipped pdf]
Online Reading: Color Theory http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/colortheory.html
- Topic 11: The Business of Web Development (February 24)
- Topic 11: The Business of Web Development
Readings: Codes of Ethics [146 kb pdf]
Online Reading: The Business of Web Development http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webbusiness1.html
- Topic 12: Web Programming Languages, Databases and Plug-Ins (February 24)
- Exercise 12: Creating Dynamic HTML with JavaScript
Readings: Niederst pages 367-368, Niederst Nutshell Chapters 28-29
Optional Readings: Ditto Chapter 15; Powell Chapters 14 & 15
Online Reading: Programming Languages, Databases and Plug-ins http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/prog.html
- Topic 13: Web Site Management (March 2)
- Exercise 13: Using the directory structure, redirects, and
symbolic links
Optional Readings: Ditto Chapter 4
Online Reading: Web Site Management http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webmgmt.html
- Topic 14: Design Standards for Site Consistancy (March 2)
- Exercise 14: Drafting a design standard
Online Reading: Web Standards http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webstandards.html
- Topic 15: Midterm Examination (March 9)
- Topic 16: Animations, Sound and Video: Pages That Dance & Sing (March 9)
- Exercise 16: Creating animated .gif files
Readings: Niederst Chapter 16, Niederst Nutshell Chapters 23-26
Online Reading: Video & Audio for the Web http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webanim.html
- Spring Vacation: No class (March 16)
- Topic 17: Internet Security Overview (March 23)
- Topic 17: Internet Security Overview
Optional Reading: Stein Chapters 2, 3, 4, & 11
Online Reading: Introduction to Internet Security http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/netsecurity.html
- Topic 18: Controlling Access: Web Site Security (March 23)
- Exercise 18: Using .htaccess and other server access control
mechanisms
Optional Reading: Ditto Chapter 6, Stein Chapters 1, 8, 9 & 10
Online Reading: Securing Your Site and Controlling Access http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webaccess.html
- Topic 19: Web Site Testing (March 30)
- Exercise 19: Testing Your Site
Online Reading: Web Testing http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/webtesting.html
- Topic 20: Introduction to CGI and Perl (March 30)
- Exercise 20: Basic Perl Scripting: the Hello World Program
Supplemental Reading: Castro Introduction, pp. 13-22
Online Reading: Introduction to CGI Programming with Perl http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/perlcgi1.html
- Topic 21: Designing Your CGI (April 6)
- Exercise 21: CGI Pseudocode
Online Reading: Pseudocode http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/pseudocode.html
- Topic 22: Learning Perl (April 6)
- Exercise 22: Functions and Data Types
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapter 1, pp. 23-28; Chapter 6, pp. 73-82; Chapter 9, pp. 117-118; Chapter 13, pp. 177-179; Chapter 14, pp. 189-196
Online Reading: Perl Functions and Variables http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/funcvar.html
- Topic 23: Adapting Existing CGI Scripts (April 13)
- Exercise 23: Adapting a CGI Script
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapter 16, pp. 217-222
Online Reading: Free CGI http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/freecgi.html
- Topic 24: HTML Forms in Perl (April 13)
- Exercise 24: Writing a Form Handler
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapters 3,4, & 5, pp.43-70; Chapter 13, pp. 177-179; Appendix A 223-230
Online Reading: Form Handler http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/formhandler.html
- Topic 25: CGI Database Handling (April 20)
- Exercise 25: Intro to Databases
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapters 7 & 8, pp. 83-115
Online Reading: CGI Flat-File Databases http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/cgidb1.html
- Topic 26: Dynamic Web Page Creation (April 20)
- Exercise 26: Dynamic Web Page Creation
Online Reading: Generating Dynamic Web Pages with CGI http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/dynpages.html
- Topic 27: Searching with Perl (April 27)
- Exercise 27: Simple Search of a Site
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapter 11, pp. 137-159
Online Reading: Searching with Perl http://itwebmaster.iit.edu/resources/perlsearch.html
- Topic 28: CGI Security (April 27)
- Exercise 28: Logging In and Out
- Topic 29: Web Database Management (May 4)
- Exercise 29: Advanced Database Interaction
Supplemental Reading: Castro Chapter 10, pp. 127-135
- Topic 30: CGI for Site Adminstration (May 4)
- Exercise 30: Parsing Log Files
- Final Exam (May 11)
Readings: Readings for the class will be assigned from the textbooks as well as in the form of online reading. All readings should be done before coming to class on the assigned date, and are mandatory and expected. Generally if you do the readings you will excel in the course, as the lectures serve as a clarification and explanation of material you should already be familiar with. Specific readings are assigned by topic above.
Coursework
There will be two assignments for this class.
Assignment 1: A proposal for a Web site as described in
Lessons 7.0 & 7.1. It may be transmitted electronically as a text file
or in Word, WordPerfect, Wordpro, OpenOffice.org/StarOffice, 602word, or
AbiWord format; placed on the Web; or submitted typed or printed on paper.
This assignment will be due March 23.
Assignment 2: A World Wide Web site meeting specific requirements
as described in Lesson 7.1 and as established by the instructor. The project
will placed on the Web and will be due May 4.
Exercises: Exercises for this class will be guided learning
experiences; some exercises may include questions to ensure that the necessary
skills have been mastered. The specific weight of exercises in grading is
left to the instructor's discretion and will be included in the class participation
grade. All Perl programs must be complete and function properly to receive
full credit.
Quizzes: Quizzes may be given at the instructor's discretion
and may be used for verification that assigned reading has been completed.
As they are discretionary, weight of quizzes in grading is also left to the
instructor's discretion and will be included in the class participation grade.
Quizzes may be online.
Examinations: The midterm and final examinations will consist
of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and short essay questions
to demonstrate mastery of the material covered; questions will be based on
the learning objectives for each topic. The midterm exam will test material
covered in the first half of the course; the final exam will only test material
covered in the last half of the course and is not cumulative. The midterm
examination will be closed-book/closed-notes. The final exam will be open-book/open-notes/open-web.
Internet students residing in the Chicago area should make arrangements to
attend the examinations in Wheaton or at the Main Campus in Chicago, or arrange
a time and place for each examination with the instructor.
Plagarism: All work submitted by students must be their
own. Plagiarism may result in an automatic grade
of "E". Even though it is incredibly foolish and painfully obvious
(since the only source for plagiarism is previous student work in the course)
students have submitted plagiarized assignments in the past.
Grading
Grading criteria for for IT/ITM 462 students will be as follows:
- Outstanding work reflecting substantial effort:
90-100%: A - Excellent work reflecting good effort:
80-89.99%: B - Satisfactory work meeting minimum expectations:
70-79.99%: C - Substandard work not meeting expectations:
60-69.99%: D - Unsatisfactory work:
0-59.99%: E
Grading criteria for for 462/ITM 562 students will be as follows:
- Outstanding work reflecting substantial effort:
90-100%: A - Adequate work fully meeting that expected of a graduate student:
80-89.99%: B - Weak but marginally satisfactory work not meeting reasonable expectations:
65-79.99%: C - Unsatisfactory work:
0-64.99%: E
| Final Course Grade Calculation: | Assignment 1 | 20% |
| Assignment 2 | 20% | |
| Midterm Exam | 20% | |
| Final Exam | 20% | |
| Quizzes, Exercises and Class Participation | 20% |
