HomeBlackboardSyllabusTools

Set font size: Aa | Aa | Aa

Calendar

This syllabus outlines our course of study for the coming semester, including material to be covered, grading criteria, and classroom policies.
Instructor Tom Gutnick
tgutnick@nvcc.edu
tom@gutnick.us (alternate address)
703.450.2506, ext. 37208 (NVCC voice mail)
571.449.6775 (direct line)
Skype: tom.gutnick
Instant messaging: mluleki [AOL], tomgutnick [Yahoo!], emakati@hotmail.com [MSN], tgutnick@gmail.com [Google]
Course objectives ITD 110 gave you the basics of Web page design. This class takes you to the next level, teaching the advanced software technologies used to create highly-sophisticated dynamic Web sites. Specific objectives include:
  • Understand, and be able to create Web pages using, Dynamic HTML (DHTML), including XHTML, JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets, and browser Document Object Models
  • Be able to create multimedia web sites
  • Understand the functioning of Web servers
  • Be able to create server-side scripts
  • Be able to create database-enabled Web applications
  • Understand issues of Web page accessibility
  • Understand basic principles of managing and maintaining a Web site
(See the college-wide course content summary at www.nvcc.edu/depts/academic/coursecont/ summaries/ITD210.pdf.)
Prerequisites
  • ITD 110, Web Page Design I (completed with a grade of C or better) or equivalent
  • Knowledge of the operating system (Windows, Unix/Linux, or MacOS) environment, including the ability to move and copy files and to use a text editor
  • Familiarity with using a Web browser
Class location and hours Room LW 223, Mondays 7:00–9:40 PM
Office hours By appointment, Mondays 6:15–7:00 PM. (Other times may be arranged.) Consultation also available by phone, e-mail, and IM. If you are having problems with the class material, you are encouraged to contact me right away.
Text Programming the World Wide Web, 6th edition, by Robert W. Sebesta, 2011, ISBN 0-13-213081-5.
Grading 20% homework
15% quizzes
20% mid-term exam
20% final exam
25% project
Grading scale: A=90-100%, B=80-89%, C=70-79%, D=60-69%, F=0-59%
Class web site Available through your college Blackboard account.
I will post relevant materials here, including updated versions of this syllabus and class schedule, details on class assignments (homework and projects), the PowerPoint slides used in class, additional reference materials, etc.
Assignments

Reading will be assigned from the textbook and, occasionally, from web sites. Exercises, either from the textbook or from other sources, will be assigned. In addition, a major project will be assigned, involving the creation of a small web site. You will be submitting portions of the project to meet various milestones throughout the semester. Details of the homework and project requirements will be discussed in class and posted on the class Blackboard site every week.

All written assignments and projects are due at the beginning of class on the due date; if you will be absent, assignments may be turned in via e-mail. Late submissions will receive less than full credit.

Be sure to allow sufficient time for completing all assignments — this is critical for success in the class.

Attendance & help

Your presence, regular and thorough preparation, and participation in class are expected. If you are unable to attend a class, contact me in advance. Class sessions will often cover material beyond what is covered in the textbook. If you do not attend regularly and do all the assignments, you are likely to find it difficult to complete the course successfully.

If you find that you are floundering, please don't just stop coming to class. Talk to me and, together, we'll work on getting you through the semester successfully. On the other hand, if you decide to drop the class, it is your responsibility to deal with the necessary paperwork on a timely basis.

Having trouble making sense of your assignments? The Counseling Center will lend you a video on how to develop better note-taking skills. Go to room LR 253.

Need more help? The College will provide up to two hours per week of free tutoring to any student requesting it. Further information and application forms available in the Counseling Center.

NVCC provides reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure that they enjoy an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs available at the College. If you need such an accommodation, it is your responsibility to process your request through the Counseling office and to provide me a copy of the appropriate form ahead of time.

Classroom decorum Civility is expected at all times. Civility includes leaving class only at scheduled break times, silencing all electronic devices during class, and being awake and attentive. Any student behaving inappropriately will be dropped from the course. If in doubt about what is appropriate by college standards, consult the NVCC Student Handbook.
Academic integrity It is expected that your submitted assignments and tests be your own work. Cheating and plagiarism are not acceptable. When appropriate, use footnotes; icons, images, and graphics used in your web pages should be appropriately credited. Any submissions found to be in violation will receive no credit.
Emergency Closings The College may decide to close due to bad weather or other circumstances. Sometimes, only evening classes are cancelled. (The College decision may differ from the decisions made by the Fairfax or Loudoun County school systems.) Be sure to check the College web site or phone 703.323.3000 for current status. Or sign up to receive text alerts. There are no make-up days available, so we will juggle assignments as best as we can. In the event of an unscheduled closing, I will update the class web site as soon as possible with information regarding assignments.
Computer lab The open computer lab is located in room LW 230. The computers are loaded with the same software as in our classroom. The lab phone number is 703.450.2521. Printing in the lab costs 10¢/page, using your student ID card. (No charge for printing in the classroom.) Hours are:
Monday–Thursday, 8 AM–10 PM
Friday–Saturday, 8 AM–4 PM
Sunday, 1 PM–4 PM
Additional computers are available for student use in the library in the Reynolds Building and in the library at the Reston 2 facility.

Class schedule This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Project milestones to be determined. Refer to the class Blackboard site for the latest version.

The numbers in the Reading column represent textbook chapter sections which should be read before the class session. Be sure to check Blackboard every week for full details, along with additional reading from the World Wide Web and other assignments.
Session Date Topics Reading
1 9 January Introduction
Web browsers
16 January No class — NVCC holiday (Martin Luther King Birthday)
2 23 January XHTML 1, 2
26 January Last day for schedule adjustments with tuition refund or to change to audit status
3 30 January Project milestone 1 due
Cascading Style Sheets
3
4 6 February JavaScript: basics 4
5 13 February JavaScript: basics
JavaScript and XHTML documents

4
5
6 20 February Project milestone 2 due
JavaScript and XHTML documents
Dynamic documents with JavaScript

5

6
7 27 February Dynamic documents with JavaScript
6
5 March Spring break — no class
8 12 March Mid-term exam
XML

7
9 19 March Project milestone 3 due
XML
PHP

7
9
  23 March Last day to withdraw without grade penalty
10 26 March PHP
Databases
9
13
11 2 April Databases 13
12 9 April Project milestone 4 due
Accessibility
13 16 April Accessibility
ASP and Ajax

10, 12
14 23 April Web authoring software
15 30 April Project milestone 5 due
Web server administration
Metrics and reporting
16 7 May Final exam

Top of page

This web page demonstrates some of the challenges inherent in obtaining a reasonable display by different web browsers!