Web Site Design

Syllabus

Course Description

· Prerequisite: BUCT (Computer Technology) or equivalent skills

· Semester Course: 5 Days/Week

· Open to: 9 – 12

· Fee: $5.00

· 1/2 Credit: Elective Credit

Content:

The Web Design course is a project-based course in which the students will learn and apply the concepts and skills necessary to create and maintain web sites. Those concepts and skills are:

· Design Elements: The design elements are the look, feel and user friendliness of a site. They are concerned with visual design and layout, ease of navigation and user friendliness. The design elements consider the site from the user’s viewpoint.

• Technical Elements: The technical elements are the functional skills necessary to create web sites that operate as the designer envisioned. This is the web programming.
• Content and Purpose: The content and purpose of a site are bound together. The purpose and intent of a site dictate the content. For example, if the purpose of a site is to persuade or promote an idea, the content will be much different than if the purpose is to promote a product, share information on a topic, share information about ourselves, or entertain.

Course Process/Outcomes:

Students will create a variety of web sites in the course.

Students will create web pages and sites using a variety of methods:

• Utilize current application programs (MSWord, PowerPoint, Publisher, Excel) to
  a) Modify and convert existing files to html files.
  b) Create files for web posting

· Create basic web sites writing html code.

• Utilize commercially available authoring tool(s) such as Dreamweaver, Net Objects Fusion or Front Page to create web pages/sites.
• Use supplementary software to support design or functional elements of web sites (Adobe Acrobat, Paint Shop Pro)

Textbook:

This course will have no textbooks. Most reading assignments and support material will be accessed at various Internet sites. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that students enrolled in this class have Internet access at home or available to them outside of school.

Grading and Homework

Quizzes will not be announced in advance and will usually be over the basic concepts of homework assignments.

Any topic of activity covered in class is also subject to a quiz. Some quizzes may be performance quizzes. Unless otherwise stated, all homework is due on the following class meeting.

89.5% = A

79.5= B

69.5% = C

<69.5% or incomplete. See student handbook

Attendance & Tardies

See the student handbook for the school attendance and tardy policies. Students are responsible for all concepts and work covered during an absence. Help with make-up work is available before and after school (and during the day depending upon instructor availability). Daily activities/assignments will be posted under my name at www.wrhs.net/messages_from_staff.html. It is the student responsibility to check the daily activities/assignments web page when they are absent and ask for make up work or help with missed concepts.

Students with attendance issues may have difficulty keeping up with the work/concepts. Most concepts/skills/content are directly taught by the instructor. When students miss class, they miss instruction.

Missing Work:

The teacher will not pursue or remind students regarding missing work.

Student Self Evaluation / Self Critique of Work:

Students are required to self evaluate (self critique) most of their work in order to be eligible for full credit. There are 2 reasons that it is appropriate for students to self critique their work:

1. It is an adult skill. Adults in the real world are expected to evaluate there work to be sure it meets or exceeds expectations and standards. The days of asking (mom or dad) if it is “good enough” should be long over.

2. Product put on a website should always be checked to be sure that it looks and operates the way that is intended. Examining your work product via a web browser only makes good sense.

Late Work:

Late work is acceptable if both of the following 2 conditions are present:

· Due to the nature of the work it had to be done in class. This can be if the teacher requires it to be done in class or if the activity/project requires a program that is only available in class.

· The student has used his/her time in class wisely.

Late work is also acceptable if a student has had excused absences during the project time and has made reasonable efforts to make up the time (unscheduled hours for instance).

Late work is not acceptable if a student has wasted class time that was devoted to the project or activity. If work is late due to this reason, the total possible points the project/activity can earn will decrease by 10% a day for each school day late. (Note it is 10% point loss for each ‘school day’, not each ‘class day’.) The maximum % a student can lose for late work is 50%. Example: If a project is worth 100 points, is 2 days late and would earn 85 points if handed in on time, the student will receive 65 points (85 points minus 20 points for being late 2 days). Work that is over 2 weeks late will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made.

Loss of Computer Privileges

Students are held accountable to the district and school policies related to proper use of the computer network and Internet access. Loss of computer access due to inappropriate behaviors will make it very difficult (maybe impossible) for the student to meet the outcomes of the class. It is not the responsibility of WRHS, WRHS staff or WRHS administrators to make accommodations of any kind to any course if a student forfeits computer access privileges at WRHS.

Substitute Teachers

Students are expected to cooperate with substitute teachers at all times. Students failing in this will receive 2 points on the discipline plan and a 3-hour detention.

Other General Expectations

Students are expected to come to class ready to participate and learn. In general students and staff know what constitutes acceptable and desirable behaviors in class. Any possible list would not only be too long, but would doubtless leave something out. For general guidelines, see the student handbook.