CIS 204 Course Syllabus

Course:

Genesee Community College

Instructor:

Office Hours:

This is the same in all my classes. I will always make time for questions at the end of each class. Also, you can find me online to as questions on the weekends. e-Mail Address:

I will be available for student consultation through e-mail at JRHabermas@genesee dot edu

Required Reading: (2 books)

Stylin' with CSS: (Second Editon) Author Charles Wyke-Smith ISBN:0-321-52556-6	Basics of Web Design HTML5 & CSS3 Author Terry Felke-Morris ISBN: 0-13-700338-2

Required Software:

Adobe CS3 or CS5.5 Creative Suite (Web premium) that includes Photoshop CS3, Dreamweaver CS5 Fireworks CS5, Flash CS5

Major Project - Group Project - Due Week #6 - Preliminary document due.

Required WWW Readings:

• http://www.w3.org/community/webed/wiki/HTML/Training/HTML_Document
• HTML or XHTML? (Robert Nyman, 2 November 2005)
• HTML vs. XHTML on standards compliant websites (Roger Johansson, 19 June 2006)
• 5 Reasons Why You Can Use HTML5 Today
• http://www.igwebs.com/hoehnArticle.html

For additional resources to learning CSS and HTML, I recommend:

• http://www.css3.me/
• http://www.w3schools.com/css3/css3_borders.asp
• http://www.colorzilla.com/gradient-editor/
• http://www.thewebdevelopmentblog.com/2011/06/css3-today-introduction-to-css3/

Required Supplies:

• Flash Disk, (some mass storage), jump drive
• Domain Name

Classroom Behavior:

Receiving or sending cell phone calls in classrooms is inappropriate and impolite. Please turn them off. No PDA, No CELL phone, NO AOL Instant messenger, and no other form of internet chat is allowed during class lecture.

Students who want to learn and listen to the lecture are often distracted when other students get up and walk out of the class, or come in late. Please respect your classmates and your professor.

Agenda:

Key Lab Weeks

• Week 7 - March 1, 2011 - exam - Chapters 1 - 6.
• Week 8 - March 8, 2011 - Class presentations - 2 different proposals presented to class of group project.
• Week 9 March 12 - March 17 Spring break
• March 25 - last day to withdraw from the class.
• March 29 by 11:59pm - design document and statement of completion must be submitted
• REQUIREMENTS - will be discussed in great detail in class.
• Practical pass/fail final exam April 24. Individual office hour appoint and review of this exam is required in the following week. Some students may have to prepare for second attempt of practical final exam.

Catalog Description:  

Credits: 3  

Catalog Description: Assuming a basic knowledge of HTML coding and web page design, this class moves into large-scale site development and an introduction to advanced web technologies. Building on the web page design concepts introduced in CIS203, this course focuses on site design issues, including scalability, maintenance, and integration of web technologies into the business or organizational context. Technologies introduced in this course include Perl, cascading style sheets, dynamic HTML, basic JavaScript, and streaming media. Each student will be required to purchase a domain name to create a website.

Lecture: 3 hrs. Prequisites: CIS113 and CIS223

COURSE OBJECTIVES / STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Upon successful completion of this course, as documented by team projects, individual and group assignments, and in-class activities, students will be able to:

• Utilize a blog. Each student will have to demonstrate the knowledge of how to create a weblog for this course. Each student will post to a weblog an entry to their own blog for each studio exercise assigned in class.
• Create a written design document that demonstrates proficiency in web design, planning and documentation.
• Use information design, graphics, and cascading style sheets to format and position HTML elements and create an aesthetic effect.
• Use client side techniques such as JavaScript and the document object model to improve interactivity and navigation.
• Use server side techniques like CGI, passwords, and server side includes to improve site performance and security.
• Markup forms, validate form input and submit form input to an email address to improve interactivity (Perl)
• Demonstrate familiarity with current practices and future developments in web site design and implementation with topics such as information architecture, presentation design, CSS, JavaScript, and accessibility.
• Demonstrate basic proficiency by creating a web page with both relative and absolute CSS, JavaScript rollovers and date/time stamps, columnar formatting, and form mail submission link.
• Apply web design and web standards set by W3 Consortium to create 3 main projects. One of the main projects will require the students to buy a domain name and establish a fictitious company's presence on the web. ****
• Demonstrate knowledge of digital imaging concepts, including file formats, resolution, color models, and compression methods.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of Photoshop CS3 (or higher) for digital imaging editing including slicing up an image, and optimizing digital photos for the web.
• Students will pass (with a grade of 70% or more) a mandatory departmental practical final exam given during the last week of the course. If a student fails this final, s/he fails the course, regardless of his or her other grades in the course. Students have one opportunity to retake the practical within one set period of time, one week to 10 days after the initial offering, as scheduled by the professor. ***

*** This course objective has been identified as a student learning outcome that must be formally assessed as part of the COllege's Comprehensive Assesement Plan. All faculty teaching this course must collect the required data(See Assessing Student Leaning Outcomes form) and submit the required analysis and documention at the conclusion of the semester to the Office of Assessment and Special Projects.

Prerequisite Skill set that a student should have before taking this course:

• Create and manipulate UNIX files and directories
• Programming/Scripting basic loops, variables, and conditionals
• Utilize digital imaging software (e.g. Photoshop and Fireworks) to create simple graphic elements.
• Identify and implement basic principles of graphic design, including contrast, alignment, proximity, repetition, and effective use of color and type.
• Create web pages using valid XHTML and CSS, and transfer the files correctly to a server. (FTP)
• Identify effective navigation components and organization of content of a web page
• Knowledge of XHTML validator: http://validator.w3.org 

Course Outline:

Hands-on experience in navigating, searching, and exploring cyberspace using various network software tools. The following topics will be covered:

• Weblogs
• HTML 5
• CSS 3.0 Positioning and Visual Design
• Domain names and Hosting
• Page Design and Layout - Poor Desgin, And Excellent Desgin (Layout)
  • Contrast - Elements that aren’t the same should be very different so they stand out
  • Repetion - Repeat styles down the page for a cohesive feel
  • Alignment - Everything on the page needs to be visually connected to something else
  • Proximity - elements that are related should be grouped together, whereas separate design elements should have enough space in between to communicate they are different. (http://carsonified.com/blog/design/how-crap-is-your-site-design/)
• Information Architecture I
  • Figuring out what you want your site to do.
  • Constructing a blueprint before you dive in and put the thing together.
• Information Architecture II & Usability Taking into account things like: font size,
  • colors,
  • visual proximity,
  • usage context,
  • search,
  • error messages,
  • navigation,
  • form design,
  • and labeling.
• HMTL Forms, PHP
• JavaScript & DHTML
• Server-Side Authentication & Server-Side Includes Dynamic Sites and CGI

Attendance:

Attendance is required for all lectures and labs. A student's final semester average will be lowered by 5 points (from the overall semester average) for each class they are absent. Don't be late! If you are late for a class, I count that as an absence and you will loose points from your final semester average.

The reason for this policy is that other students are listening / participating to my lecture. Thus, it is rude to walk into class and distract them.

In a computer lab, you must be ready to take notes, and start promptly.

Grading:  

Exams & Practicums  

We will have exams at least twice during the semester. These will typically be given first thing in class that day.

A week #7 quiz and final practicum will be given in which you may demonstrate your mastery of the course material. For these practical exams, you will be given a task to accomplish on the computer. The practical exam is not designed to be extremely difficult, but it is mandatory. No make-up practicum will be given.

The following procedure is used to determine your final grade:

• Attendance (5 points off for every class missed) Attendance will be take via blog postings and/or in- class attendance quiz.
• 40% Week #7 Quiz Multiple choice in my courses - Objective based exam closed book closed notes.
• 60% Projects:
  •  20% Finish Client work, Multiple Scripts, Master CSS, index page, guestbook, Login Scripts and small JavaScripts
  • 40% - presentation - design (use WebMonkey) Design Document. (Due March 20 @ 7 pm)
• There will also be a final practical exam, which is pass/fail; those who do not pass the final practical do not pass the course. - Tuesday Late April you have a practical final exam. May - You have one opportunity to retake the practical if you do not pass the first time.) If a student fails this final, s/he fails the course, regardless of his or her other grades in the course. Students have one opportunity to retake the practical after the initial offering, as scheduled by the professor. (If you fail the practical exam, I strongly suggest you set up an appointment in your professor and complete your first attempt at the final exam before you take the practical a second time). 70% is passing on the first Attempt, 80% is passing on the second attempt of the practical final exam.

Make-Up Policy:

 Call your instructor to discuss any possible conflicts you might run into before the exam. There will be no makeup exams. See if you can make arrangements days before the exam is scheduled, to see if you can take the exam early, but nobody will be allowed to take an exam after it has been given. I never give the same exam twice.

No sports excuse, no personal excuse, or any other excuse, you must take the exam at the same time as everybody else in the class!!! Missing an exam is just unacceptable, it is equivalent to missing a job interview!!!!

If you come to class late, that counts as an absence. If you come to class late and miss the attendance quiz for that day, you will receive a zero for that attendance quiz grade.

Projects:

Due dates will be established in class the day the projects are assigned. Your projects and assignments will be collected often on days that are not class days, not Tuesdays. Most often projects are due on Sunday night at 5pm. 

Assignments submitted after the due date/time, without prior approval from the instructor, will only receive a maximum of half credit. If you know that a situation will prevent you from turning something in, contact me in advance of the deadline to make alternate arrangements. After 2 days have passed the assigned due date the project is not accepted to be turned in for a grade.

I encourage my students to keep current for this reason, I don't go back and grade old homework after 48 hours it was due.  Thus, this is NOT the class for the student who thinks they can do all the homework at the end of the semester and expect to get credit for it. You must do the work on time.

Disability Statement:

I would appreciate hearing from anyone in this class who has a special need which may be the result of a disability. I am reasonably sure we can workout whatever arrangement is necessary, be it special seating, testing or other accommodations. See me after class, as soon as possible.

Plagiarism and Cheating - Academic Dishonesty:

• Plagiarism and Cheating: Cheating is obtaining or intentionally giving unauthorized information to create an unfair advantage in an examination, assignment, or classroom situation. Plagiarism is the act of presenting and claiming words, ideas, data, programming code or creations of others as one's own. Plagiarism may be intentional - as in a false claim of authorship - or unintentional - as in a failure to document information sources using MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association) or other style sheets or manuals adopted by instructors at the College. Presenting ideas in the exact or near exact wording as found in source material constitutes plagiarism, as does patching together paraphrased statements without in-text citation. Disciplinary action may include a failing grade on an assignment or test, a failing grade for the course, suspension or expulsion from the college, as described in the Code of Conduct.
• Plagiarism is using other's words or ideas, or programming code and claiming them as your own. Plagiarism will not be condoned and will result in a failing grade for the course.
• You are NOT permitted to view your fellow classmates exams. During an exam, keep your eyes on your own work or you will receive a failing grade for the course.
• Any form of cheating is an automatic expulsion from the course with a grade of "F." 
• Our servers are for EDUCATIONAL purposes ONLY! Absolutely no web pages are allowed to be stored on our web servers that would any way generate any interest in collecting revenue, nor should any web page on our server, fake, or simulate any revenue collection. No E-Commerce activities are allowed using SUNY computer resources. Any attempt of inappropriate use of the college servers, will result in a failing grade, and possible legal actions. Be warned, Genesee Community College is very strict in enforcing the above policies.
  Check out the link:
  http://hd.genesee.edu/index.php/article/policy-dealing-with-students-who-misuse-computing-resou

Class Cancellation Procedure:

Should the instructor not show for class unannounced, class time will be used as lab time to work on computer projects. If a lecture or test was scheduled for this date, it will be given the next scheduled class. Use this time to work with Email and listservs. Please check your email every day.

Class/Lab Schedule:

Discussion List for the Course:

I have established an electronic discussion list called   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it    for this course. You are expected to subscribe to this list from your email account that you check everyday.

Purpose of class listserv

• To disseminate additional information and recent news items relating to computer technology
• To disseminate additional information regarding course assignments, tests, etc.
• To provide a cooperative learning environment with peer assistance

What should you do?

Subscribe to the list immediately http://list.genesee.edu

PLEASE NEVER REPLY TO A LISTSERV MESSAGE, CREATE A NEW MESSAGE. I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO NOT USE THE REPLY OPTION, BUT RATHER COMPOSE A NEW EMAIL. OFTEN WITH LISTSERV INDIVIDUALS WILL WRITE ONE LETTER TO ONE INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT WILL GO TO THE ENTIRE CLASS JUST BECAUSE THE PERSON REPLIED TO A LISTSERV MESSAGE VS COMPOSING A NEW MESSAGE.