COIN74A - Syllabus
- Home
- Syllabus
COIN74A Syllabus
Computer, Technology & Information Systems Division
COIN74A Introduction to Web Publishing using Dreamweaver CS4
Winter Quarter, 2012
Course Information: COIN74A 5 units: meets online in Winter 2012
http://fgamedia.org/faculty/rdcormia/COIN74A/
Instructor: Paula Schales
Email: pschales@gmail.com
Course Description
Course description: principles and methods of creating dynamic, Web sites using Dreamweaver and the latest Web technologies: JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets, audio, video, layers and behaviors, framesets, XHTML and XML, and techniques of authoring Web pages for different browsers and different end user platforms, including principles of designing and maintaining efficient and successful websites.
Goals and Objectives
The course is an Introduction to Web design using Dreamweaver. I realize that some students will be using different versions. Most of the screenshots are from CS4 in Mac OS. You will be able to do the assignments for this course using version CS3 or CS5. In addition to needing your own copy of Dreamweaver CS3/CS4/CS5 (unless you are using the software on the school labs), you will need the latest Flash Player and QuickTime. You can download the FREE flash player from Adobe, and QuickTime from the Apple website. I also recommend having Adobe Acrobat Reader installed.
All lessons and assignments are open and visible in the course website: http://fgamedia.org/faculty/rdcormia/COIN74A/ with one assignment due each week. It is your responsibility to monitor the ETUDES Assignments Links for the due dates for submission of homework and to check the Announcements and Forums for updates or revisions to the course content and schedule. There will be several days after your final is due when you are required to participate in a review and critique of classmates' work. Once a homework link has expired, you will not be able to get credit for your assignment even if it is uploaded to the Web. Please do not request extensions for submitting homework unless you have a *real* emergency.
Assignments
Each week your assignments will be due on the date and time specified in the ETUDES TESTS, TASKS, and SURVEYS LINK for that assignment. All assignments, except assignment 12, will be open for one week, to the minute, after it is due. Any assignment turned in after the due date may be considered late, but marked down by up to 20%. Once an assignment has closed, you must receive permission to submit it, and can only receive 50% credit for that assignment.
You may be dropped from the course if you miss two or more homework submissions without correspondence. Please complete and upload your homework leaving plenty of time before the deadline. I can only assign points in ETUDES through the appropriate submission in Tests, Tasks, and Surveys. During the first couple of weeks you will have a lot of information on the ETUDES interface in addition to your Dreamweaver work, so I am flexible during this time and am very available to help you be successful early on in the course. So don't worry, I'm here to help you.
Please read Foothill College's Academic Dishonesty page with a link to our Academic Honor Code for Internet Based Courses. While Academic Dishonesty is very rare in a project-based course, it is enforced at Foothill College.
Grading
Grading is based on projects, written assignments, forums postings, and hard work. I tend to give a lot of extra credit, and often will assign scores with more points than advertised if your work is exceptional. There are approximately 500 or more points in the course, and your grade will be based on a percentage of the total possible points. I use a combination of grade range and +/- to assign your final grade in the class.
A- to A+ = 90% to 110%, B- to B+ = 80% to 89%, C to C+ = 70% to79%, D=60% to 69%, and F = <60%. A grade of ‘W’ cannot be issued after the 4th week of class.
I reserve the right to withdraw you if I don’t see progress for a number of weeks, and you do not respond by email within 96 hours to an inquiry about your status.
Optional Homework Assignments
Optional homework assignments: Towards the end of the course we will explore XML and XHTML, which may be very new for some of you. XHTML is now the language of Web pages; knowing the basic structure and syntax of this XML / HTML hybrid is very important, including how to build a very basic RSS feed. You’ll learn how to write an XML sitemap and how to integrate it into your website, including the use of Google Webmaster Tools. Assignments using layers and behaviors may be somewhat advanced, and likewise you’ll have an opportunity for extra/partial credit.
Approximate Schedule
Week 1 – Course introduction, logging into ETUDES
Week 2 – Site definition, site navigation, file organization
Week 3 - Workspace, content, and formatting
Week 4 – CSS
Week 5 – Images, rollover, and image maps
Week 6 – Tables, Templates, Libraries, and Snippets
Week 7 – Flash video, Simpleviewer, Google Web Elements, Story Board
Week 8 - Forms
Week 9 - Positioning, Behaviors, SPRY
Week 10 – Frames, iframes, Google Gadgets, Widgets
Week 11 – XHTML, XML, RSS, XML sitemaps
Week 12 – Google Webmaster Tools
Textbook
Textbook –I recommend using Dreamweaver CS4: the Missing Manual, 2008, ISBN 0596522924. If you are using CS5 then you should get Dreamweaver CS5: the Missing Manual, ISBN 978-1-449-38181-3. Order through Amazon, B&N, etc. or the Foothill bookstore.
My Philosophy
Work hard, and ask questions when stuck. Work and collaborate with your peers. Focus on technical knowledge and skills first, design will come later. For details view My Teaching Philosophy.
Office Hours
My office hours are online and I may be reached by email. For the fastest response email me directly at pschales@gmail.com. I respond to almost all emails within one business day (with proper subject lines containing COIN74 with a meaningful topic), and I expect about the same of you. Before emailing me make sure to ask questions in the ETUDES forums which I monitor so that others may benefit from and even contribute to the discussion.
When corresponding with me by email, I will try to reply to all messages within one business day, and likewise I expect the same from you. Always put COIN74A in the subject line, and please use fresh (not recycled) subject lines for new topics. Please (always) use collegial dialogue and avoid excessive complaining - we work hard to keep materials up to date - but we are only human - please treat us so.
