Internet User/Developer - CIS44

Professor: Priscilla Grocer
Office: K-112

Course Description:
This course will teach the student to work with e-mail, browsers and other naviagation tools that make working the Internet effective. The student will learn to "surf the web" effectively and to find and download items of interest. Emphasis will be on developing effective search and utilization techniques. In addition, the student will learn to work with office tools for Internet use and Web Page maintenance and development. HTML will be covered.

Please note that we will also be getting in to Java Script and some advanced HTML in this course. We have submitted these changes.

Course Objectives:
The objective of this course is to help the student become an effective Internet user and developer. The student will learn the process of creating home pages. At the completion of this course, the following objectives should have been accomplished:

• learn to use e-mail effectively
• learn to effectively locate information of the Web using a variety of tools
• learn to download information from the Web
• learn to work with other Internet resources
• learn to work with chat rooms, newsgroups, boards etc.
• learn to create effective Web pages
• learn the many steps involved in making a Web page work
• learn effective design techniques
• learn to create Web pages using a variety of tools
• learn the HTML language
• learn to create and maintain Web pages
• learn to work with Java Script embedded in the HTML
• learn advanced HTML

Texts: We will discuss books the first day of class, so I suggest that you wait till after the first class before you buy a book!

Recommended:
Poor Richard's Web Site
Peter Kent
Top Floor Publications
ISBN 0-9661032-8-9
Web Page: http://www.poorrichard.com

HTML 4.0
E. Stephen Mack and Janan Platt
ISBN 0-7821-2143-8
Sybex, 1997


Interesting:
searching and researching on the internet and the world wide web
Ernest Ackermann and Karen Hartman
ISBN: 1-887902-26-0
Franklin, Beedle and Associates Incorporated, 1998
Web Page: http://www.mwc.edu/ernie/search-web.html

Planning and Designing Effective Web Sites
Sue A. Conger and Richard O. Mason
Course Technology

Course Outline:

These are the topics to be covered. The order will be different to accomodate technical needs and to give students time to work on a Web page.

1. e-mail
   1. organizing e-mail
   2. using e-mail effectively
2. Other topics
   1. Chat
   2. Boards
   3. Newsgroups
   4. Others
3. Searching and researching (partially covered at end of course)
   1. Directories and virtual libraries
   2. Advanced search strategies for search engines
   3. Specialized databases
   4. Searching library catalogs
   5. FTP: searching archives, downloading files
   6. Find e-mail addresses, phone numbers and maps
   7. Searching e-mail discussion group archieves and usenet newsgroup archives
   8. Evaluating information found on the WWW
4. Web page site
   1. Do you need a web site
   2. What you need to get started
   3. Where you put your page
   4. Hosts
   5. Domains
   6. Interaction
   7. Promotion
5. Designing effective Web pages
   1. Preparation
   2. Design methods
   3. Ongoing support
6. HTML and Web pages
   1. Basics of the Language
   2. More advanced use of the language
   3. Installing a Web page
   4. Maintaining a Web page
7. Java Script
   1. Learning basic Java Script
   2. Embedding in HTML
8. Web application packages and editors

Requirements: There will be a mid-semester and final exam. If the class is producing a lot of work, the instructor may find that a mid-semester exam is not needed - the mid-semester may become optional for those who are caught up or possibly the class can vote on having or not having a mid-semester. There will be a lot of homework assignments involving the Internet and a lot of projects. Students will search the Web, participate in the class chat and board discussions, subscribe to services etc. Multiple web pages will be produced using HTML and Java Script and at least one of these will be installed on the Internet. Maintenance will also be required.
Scheduling information about assignments, projects and exams will be kept on the Web site. Students are responsible for checking the schedule.

Grading:

• 10% Final exam
• 10% Midsemester exam (if not given 10% added to homework and projects)
• 70% Homework and projects
• 10% Class participation, responsibility about work, keeping up to date, quality of work, adding extras that are above and beyond, showing initiative, figuring out problems etc.

Evaluation: Assignments and programs are graded using either number grades or letter grades based on the following (A=90-100), B=(80-89), C=(70-79), D=(60-69), F=below 60). The students grade for the course will use the same scale and will be based on the percentages explained in the grading section. Plus and minus grades will be given.

Attendance: The student is allowed to cut 6 hours of classes.

Methodology: The course is given using the lecture method and the student is encouraged to ask questions at any point during the lecture. When appropriate, class exercises and problem solving techniques are used. The "computer on wheels" will be used for many classes and frequently the class will use the computers in a lab. The majority of hands on time will be to accomplish assignments and will be on the student's time.

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