Course Syllabus

*Last updated: 09-11-2016

Main learning objective for the course:  
At the end of the course, students will be able to plan, design, and implement a web site using current standards and best practices.

Weekly Modules

*Topics are subject to change and re-arrangement 

1. Getting Started: The World Wide Web AUG 30
   • Course Overview
   • The Internet and World Wide Web
   • Introduction to Markup
   • Reading: Learning Web Design, Part I
2. Markup (HTML) SEPT 6
   • Essential HTML document structure
   • Essential HTML for content
   • Reading:  Learning Web Design, Part 2, chapters 4, 5, 6, 7
3. Markup (HTML) and Style (CSS) SEPT 13
   • HTML forms
   • CSS mechanics and basic selectors
   • CSS text properties
   • Reading:  Learning Web Design, Part II, chapters 8, 9, 10; Part III, chapters 11, 12, 13
4. Style (CSS) SEPT 20
   • CSS block model
   • Colors and Images
   • CSS and lists
   • Multiple CSS stylesheets
   • The cascade and specificity of CSS 
   • Reading:  Learning Web Design, Part II, chapters 14, 15
5. Style (CSS) SEPT 27
   • Fonts
   • CSS and Layouts
   • CSS frameworks
   • Reading:  
     • Learning Web Design, Part III, chapters 16, 17, 18
     • The Little Book of HTML/CSS Frameworks by Jens Oliver Meiert
6. Style (CSS) and Images OCT 4
   
   • CSS Loose Ends
   • Image types (PNG, JPEG, GIF), features, properties and typical use
   • Tools for image creation and manipulation
   • Reading:  Learning Web Design, Part V, chapters 21, 22
7. User Experience and Design OCT 11
   • Workflow for designing a site
   • User Experience principles
   • Design principles
   • Reading:
     • Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think, Revisited : A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability. Third ed. 2014.
     • Williams, Robin. The Non-designer's Design Book : Design and Typographic Principles for the Visual Novice. Fourth ed. 2015.
8. JavaScript - Introduction OCT 18
   • JavaScript Events
   • DOM
   • jQuery
   • Reading:
     • Learning Web Design, Part IV, chapters 19, 20.
     • First three chapters of Learn jQuery: About jQuery, Using jQuery Core, and Events.
9. JavsScript - Integrating OCT 25
   • Focus on using and integrating JavaScript functionality
   • Slideshows, form validation, navigation, social media widgets 
10. JavaScript - Ajax and dynamic pages NOV 1
    • JSON
    • Ajax
    • JavaScript templates
    • Reading:
      • Learn jQuery, Ajax chapter
      • Handlebars documentation as needed
11. Server Side, Part 1 - HTTP and Apache Web Server NOV 8
    • HTTP Overview
    • Caching
    • Compressing
    • Custom Error Pages
    • Redirects
    • HTTPS / TLS
    • Cookies
12. Server-Side:  Dynamic Content NOV 15
    • PHP Overview
    • PHP File Includes
    • PHP Web Applications
    • Example:  Web Application Using Database and Templates
    • Web Content Management Systems (Web CMS)
13. Special Topics NOV 29
    • TBD
14. Making Your Site Production Ready DEC 6
    • Web page performance
    • Search engines
    • Monitoring and security

Instructors

• Course Head: David Heitmeyer
• Teaching Assistants
  • Artie Barrett (Wednesdays, 9:30pm - 10:30pm)
  • Brandon Bentley (Mondays, 5:30pm - 6:30pm)
  • Rei Diaz (Wednesdays, Noon - 1pm)
  • Rob Frenette (Tuesdays, 7pm - 8pm)
  • Mike Hilborn (Mondays, 7:30pm - 8:30pm)
  • Kama Lord (Thursdays, 6pm - 7pm)
  • Roderick Morales (Tuesdays. 5pm - 6pm)

Class Meetings

This is a fully-online class. Weekly modules will be released each Tuesday during the term. These modules will present the topics for that week in a series of videos, screencasts, and slides. There will be short exercises within the modules to reinforce learning and give you a chance to practice what you've just learned.

Sections. Optional sections will be held throughout the week that are designed to help you with the mechanics of doing the work in the course as well as address more conceptual questions. Sections will be held "live" via a conferencing platform, and they will also be recorded for later viewing. TAs will notify students when they will be holding sections, and will let students know the format of sections.

Section Schedule:

Monday, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, hosted by Brandon Bentley
Monday, 7:30pm - 8:30pm, hosted by Mike Hilborn
Tuesday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, hosted by Rodericak Morales
Tuesday, 7:00pm - 8:00pm, hosted by Rob Frenette
Wednesday, Noon - 1:00pm, hosted by Rei Diaz
Wednesday, 9:30pm - 10:30pm, hosted by Artie Barrett
Thursday, 6:00pm - 7:00pm, hosted by Kama Lord

Additional Expenses: Texts & Technology

Summary:  $50 for a textbook (list price for paperback, can be found for less) + $30 for 1 year of web hosting at Dreamhost (is optional, but strongly encouraged).

Textbook

There will be a variety of online resources referenced that are either free or available without additional cost (requires Harvard login, which is given to every registered student).

In addition, there is a required book that is a great single resource that covers a variety of relevant topics in a clear and accurate way:

Jennifer Niederst Robbins, 2012. Learning Web Design: A Beginner's Guide to HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Web Graphics, 4th ed. O'Reilly Media. 500 p. ISBN 978-1-4493-3753-8

Textbook available through

• Harvard Library Online Access to: Learning Web Design
• Harvard Coop
• O'Reilly Books
  Note that O'Reilly has a great "DRM-free" policy on their ebooks (see: The shop.oreilly.com Ebook Advantage)
• Your favorite physical or online bookstore...

Technology - Hosting

As part of enrolling in the course, you will have access to the course web hosting server, which is a basic environment in which you can publish pages and sites. I strongly encourage students to also purchase a commercial web hosting service -- it will be useful for your project, but also for your web work beyond this course. The hosting provider Dreamhost offers an educational discount promotion (as of August 2016, it is $4.95 per month and you need to sign up for a year -- so for around $60, you will have a year's access to a hosting service, which also includes 1 free domain name). This is strongly encouraged, but not strictly required.

David's disclaimer: I've used Dreamhost for many years and have been quite happy with their service. I don't receive any discounts or benefits from students signing up with their service -- I just hope you have as great of an experience as I've had with them!  Note too that Dreamhost prices are subject to change.

Activities, Assignments, Final Project

There are 3 types of exercises you will encounter in this course:

• Practice Activities. These are smaller in-module exercises designed to give you a chance to work on what you've just learned or to answer some basic questions on what you've just learned. They are designed to be "low-stakes" (often you can repeat them until you get it right), but are important for the learning process. These in-module exercises will be 15% of your final grade. The completion of these activities are due before the end of the week. The activities must be completed by 11:59pm the following Tuesday. 

• Assignments. These are more significant exercises given each week that will be submitted and graded. The due date will be listed on each assignment and on the syllabus page. Generally, they will be due by 11:59pm the following Tuesday. These weekly exercises will be 60% of your final grade.

• Final Project. The final project is to plan, design, build, and publish a small-scale web site. We will work on this throughout the term in stages. You will have 2 smaller assignments where you ideate and plan your site, and a final assignment where you submit your final project. As part of the work towards the final project, there will be opportunities to get feedback from your teaching assistants. The project will be 25% of your grade.

Community

An online course doesn't mean you will not be speaking to your peers and classmates! You will have the oppotunity to ask questions on our Question and Answer Forum, and answer any questions you know the answer to. We will also be creating interest-based discussion boards for you to share your final project ideas.

Accessibility

The Extension School is committed to providing an accessible academic community. The Accessibility Office offers a variety of accommodations and services to students with documented disabilities. Please visit www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/resources/disability-services-accessibility for more information.

Cheating and Plagiarism

You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity (www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/student-conduct/academic-integrity) and how to use sources responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the rules, running out of time, submitting the wrong draft, or being overwhelmed with multiple demands are not acceptable excuses. There are no excuses for failure to uphold academic integrity. To support your learning about academic citation rules, please visit the Harvard Extension School Tips to Avoid Plagiarism (www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/resources/tips-avoid-plagiarism), where you'll find links to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources and two free online 15-minute tutorials to test your knowledge of academic citation policy. The tutorials are anonymous open-learning tools.