Instructor

Bamshad Mobasher
Office: Loop Campus, CDM Building, Room 833
E-mail: mobasher@cs.depaul.edu
Phone: 312-362-5174

Office hours: Mon. 4:00-5:30; Thu. 3:00-4:00 (or by appointment)

Textbook:

Exploring Web Technologies for Designers by James Gordon Bennett, Thompson, 2008.

Course Objectives & Topics:

This course provides a general introduction to the basic concepts of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Major topics are history of computing and the internet, basic networking concepts, the use of HTML and CSS for Web page design, publishing Web pages on the Internet, and Javascript Programming to create dynamic or interactive Web pages. Through the study of the Internet and WWW, the course also introduces basic computing concepts such as information representation, basic computer organization, networking fundamentals, operating systems, and basic programming concepts.

The specific topics that are emphasized in the course include:

• History and basic concepts of computing and information technology
• Introduction to the Internet and the World-Wide Web (WWW) technologies
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) & Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
• Dynamic Web pages and Event-Driven programming using JavaScript
• Programming constructs such as abstraction, conditional statements, loops, etc.

None, although basic familiarity with computers and the use of Internet applications (such as Web browsers) will be assumed.

Assignments:

There will be 6 to 7 assignments during the quarter. The assignments will always be posted on the class Web site in the Assignments section, and must be turned in electronically on the specified due date. Late assignments will be penalized 10% for each day that they are late, including the due date (weekends counting as 1 day). After 5 days no late assignments will be accepted. Most assignments will be submitted by using the Homework Submission application on the Course Online Web page for the class https://col.cdm.depaul.edu), or by email. You should always keep a copy of what you have submitted and be able to reproduce it upon request. It is good idea to purchase a USB flash drive (also called a thumb drive or memory stick) for saving your exercises and projects.  These are inexpensive and can be ordered online or found at any computer store..

Using Computer Labs:

You can use any of the labs on campus to access relevant software for the class (or use your own computers). Students accessing CDM lab or server resources in Loop campus for the first time must activate their CDM accounts before they can be used.  You don’t need to do this if you won’t be using the CDM labs. Here is a list of CDM  labs and instructions on how to activate your account to use the labs (do not confuse this with your webspace accounts). This account is so that you can log in to the computers in CDM computer labs.

Exams:

We will have one midterm exam and a final exam. For the exams, you are responsible for all the material covered in class and in the assigned readings. No make-up exams will be given, except in cases of emergencies or with prior approval. Additional information about the exams and the topics covered for each will be posted on the Web site later in the quarter. The tentative dates for the midterm and the final exams, as well as other relevant information can be found on the Exams page.

Grading Policy:

The final grade will be based on the following distribution:

• Midterm Exam = 25%
• Final Exam = 30%
• Homework = 45%

Plagiarism:

All the work submitted for this course is expected to be original work, except when group work is explicitly permitted. You may discuss assignments with one another in general terms. But you must work on your own in coming up with solutions to problems or writing the answer to assignments and exams. The university and school policy on plagiarism is summarized as follows: Students in this course, as well as all other courses in which independent research or writing play a vital part in the course requirements, should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report, or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.

Incompletes:

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.