MANSFIELD UNIVERSITY
CIS 3303 COURSE SYLLABUS

revised 8/26/2005

GENERAL INFORMATION

Course number: CIS 3303
Credit/Contact hours: 3
Term: Fall, August 29 - December 16, 2005
Course title: Web Site Design
College website: www.mansfield.edu

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Instructor name: John Phillips
Instructor office location: Elliott 203 A
Instructor office hours: online at http://faculty.mansfield.edu/jphillip/
Instructor telephone: 570-662-4704 (however, it is best to contact me via e-mail)
Instructor e-mail address: jphillip@mansfield.edu

COURSE INFORMATION

Course Description

The student is introduced to the basics of web site design using Macromedia Studio software. The student will learn to create web pages using Dreamweaver, web images using Fireworks, and web animations using Flash.

Prerequisite: none - however, it is assumed the student has good computing skills, otherwise the student should first take CIS 1103 or similar introductory computing class.

Textbook

The Web Collection: Macromedia Flash MX 2004, Dreamweaver MX 2004, and Fireworks MX 2004, Bishop/Patel/Shuman/Waxer, 2004, Course Technology, ISBN 0-619-18844-8.

Software

You need to have access to Macromedia Studio MX 2004 software or the individual packages that include Macromedia Flash MX 2004, Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004, and Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004. This software is installed on all of the computers in the Elliott 207 computer lab and on the two library graphic workstation computers.

If you are unable to use a computer at the school then you need to buy the educational version of the software. This software is available from a number of educational vendors listed on the Macromedia web site at http://www.macromedia.com/buy/reseller_edu_us.html. I have had good luck in the past dealing with Diskovery out of Florida where they are selling Macromedia Studio MX 2004 for $199. But feel free to shop around.

If you can sometimes use the school computers but would like to do most of your work on your home computer then you could download the 30 day trial versions of Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks. When the trials expire then you would have to complete your assignments at the school or install the trials on a second computer if you have one. If you decide to use this method then only install the one package we will be using that month and not all of them at once. That way you can stretch out your use of the trial software to 90 days. You can download the trial software from the Macromedia website at http://www.macromedia.com/downloads/. Download all of the software packages at the beginning of the semester as Macromedia is in the process of introducing Studio 8 software to replace the Studio MX 2004 software and the trial software may not be available much longer.

I will have to assume you have access to all of the software at all times. Having trial versions and not finishing your work on time will not be an acceptable excuse. If you cannot afford to buy the software or access it on campus then you must not take this class at this time. Access to the software is required.

Equipment and supplies

Access to the Internet is required either using your own computer or by using a computer in the school's computer lab. You should keep a backup copy of all work you do on diskettes or a CD or a USB key.

Course Websites

Visit http://faculty.mansfield.edu/jphillip/ for this syllabus, office hours, and other course information.

Visit Blackboard for class announcements, assignments, and the discussion board (http://www.mnsfld.edu/blackboard.cfm).

Visit this course.com website to download the student data files required by your textbook: http://www.course.com/downloads/designprofessional/webcollection/index.cfm.

Course Outline

1. Developing a web page
2. Working with text and graphics
3. Working with links
4. Working with tables
5. Creating multimedia animations
6. Creating special effects
7. Working with bitmap and vector objects
8. Importing, selecting, and modifying graphics
9. Integrating graphics and animations into a web site

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to:

• use a text editor to create a simple web page using HTML
• use a storyboard to plan and design a web site
• use a webpage design application to create a web page
• use a webpage design application to create a cascading style sheet (CSS)
• use a graphics design / image editing application to create web graphics
• use a multimedia animation design application to create web animations
• incorporate a cascading style sheet into a web page
• incorporate graphics into a web page
• incorporate animations and sound into a web page
• incorporate multiple web pages into a web site
• use web tools such as FTP/SSH/WinSCP to upload files to a web server
• describe the importance of testing using more than one browser
• define usability and discuss some of the current guidelines

Class schedule

This is an online course. Log onto Blackboard every day or two if possible.

Grading scale and policy

Final grades will be calculated using the following standard scale (refer to the Mansfield University Catalog for grades that can be awarded).

A >= 90%
B >= 80%
C >= 70%
D >= 60%
F < 60%

I may choose to differentiate final grades with plus and minus subdivisions as outlined in the catalog. If a grade is borderline, then I reserve the right to bump up any grade where the quality of online participation was excellent. For example, I would strongly favor bumping a final grade of 89% from a B+ to an A- if and only if the online participation was consistently excellent over the course of the semester.

Late work policy

Assignments are posted well in advance. Late work will be severely penalized and anything over one week late will not be accepted at all. Please do not wait until the last minute as computer and network problems are very common and are not a very good excuse for being late. Count on having some problems and complete your work early so that you will not be penalized.

Instructor's expectations

This is an online course. As such it requires a certain amount of self-discipline in order to be successful. If you have very limited computing experience and/or have a hard time following written directions, then you may find the on-campus sections of this course more to your liking. This online course places an emphasis on self-directed hands-on experimentation. You will need to spend a large amount of time exploring the course topics in a hands-on environment, either on your own computer or on a computer in one of MU's computer labs. Please allocate plenty of time in your schedule for this course.

Academic Integrity

Feel free to help each other solve problems encountered as much as possible in this class on the assignments. Browse other students' posted work, on-line web sites, and other books for ideas. However, do be careful; if you copy another's work and you do not give credit for it, that is plagiarism. In general, any computer files you submit should contain your own work and not someone else's. It would be especially bad to copy another student's work and then make a few changes to it and submit it as your own. Please do not do this. If you are in doubt then discuss the situation with your instructor.

Withdrawal Policy

The last day to withdraw from this course with a "W" grade is published in the Academic Calendar. It is the responsibility of the student to complete and submit the necessary forms to the Registrar's Office. An official withdrawal would entitle the student to a grade of "W" in the course.

Syllabus statement for students who may have “exceptionalities:"

Any students with documented psychological or learning disorders or other significant medical conditions that may affect their learning should work through Mr. William Chabala in our Counseling Center (South Hall 216, Phone: 662-4798; e-mail wchabala@mnsfld.edu) to provide me with the appropriate letter so that I may serve their particular needs more effectively. If you have an exceptionality that requires class or testing accommodations, Mr. Chabala will work with us to identify and implement appropriate interventions.

Syllabus Change Policy

The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus and course timeline as the course progresses.

COURSE TIMELINE