Student Syllabus

Contents of this Document

The Course Syllabus contains information to help you understand what the course offers, and what is expected for students to succeed. Please read it carefully, and ask the instructor if there is anything you don't understand.

• Catalog Course Description
• Course Objectives
• Text and Materials
• Grading
• Attendance Requirements
• Additional Information

This course is an introduction to creating pages for the web using Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Students will create web pages using a text editor and publish them on a server using an FTP program. Upon completion of this course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of document structure and formatting techniques as well as develop effective troubleshooting skills.

1. History of SGML, HTML, XHTML, XML and the W3C
1. Define SGML, HTML, XHTML and XML
2. Identify key differences between SGML, HTML, XHTML and XML
3. Define the relationships and differences between content, structure and presentation in web documents
4. Define the role of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
5. Locate documentation and standards information on the W3C website
6. Discuss the history of the W3C and the move towards standards compliance in browsers
2. Structuring Content with XHTML
1. Create a basic XHTML document using a text editor
2. Identify the core components and rules of an XHTML document including syntax and essential elements
3. Define doctypes and identify their different uses
4. Create meta information in your XHTML document and define its purpose
5. Define character encoding and declare an encoding type for your document
3. Incorporating and Formatting Content with XHTML
1. Identify the difference between block-level and inline elements
2. Format text using inline elements
3. Structure content using block-level elements
4. Properly nest block-level and inline elements
5. Create ordered and unordered lists
6. Incorporate section headers to create a structural hierarchy for your content
7. Identify the visual differences between paragraphs, divs and spans
8. Incorporate blockquotes and preformatted text in your document
9. Insert images and background images in your document
10. Identify the differences between GIFs and JPEGs
11. Align your text and images within the document
12. Specify a background color for your document
13. Identify character entities and incorporate in your document
4. Validating XHTML
1. Identify the rules for a valid, well-formed XHTML document
2. Validate your document using a web-based validator to check for poorly formed markup
5. Adding Interactivity with Links
1. Create a link in your document that links to another webpage
2. Create several inter-linked XHTML documents
3. Specify different targets for your links
4. Create a mailto: link that spawns an email program when clicked
5. Create anchors in your document to mark specific areas of content
6. Create anchor links to link to anchors within your document
7. Identify the difference between relative and absolute links and the advantages and disadvantages of each
8. Identify the different parts of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
   (given under the last area)
6. Creating and Applying Styles with Cascading Style Sheets
1. Identify the different ways of incorporating styles in your document
2. Identify the different components of a style rule
3. Create an external stylesheet and link your document to it
4. Create both embedded and inline styles and apply them to content in your document
5. Define the cascade and the importance of specificity
6. Define the process of inheritance for both single and multiple stylesheets
7. Identify the relative weights of different selectors
8. Create complex style rules by grouping selectors and creating contextual selectors
9. Define classes and IDs for your document
10. Apply different types of text formatting using styles
11. Create margins and control spacing using styles
12. Apply color to different parts of your document using styles
13. Apply different units of measurement and identify the most appropriate choices for use on the web (screen display) and the most appropriate choices for printed web pages
7. Creating Advanced Layouts with Tables
1. Create a simple table
2. Apply a border, cellpadding and cellspacing to your table
3. Specify widths, background colors and alignment for your table cells
4. Use rowspans and colspans to create a more detailed and complex table
5. Utilize sketches and wireframes to effectively plan out your table
6. Create multiple tables on the same page
7. Create nested tables for non-graphical fixed-width, variable-width, and mixed layouts
8. Publishing Files Using File Transfer Protocol
1. Transfer files to a web server using FTP
2. Create and delete directories on your web server
3. Effectively organize a website directory structure
4. Utilize index files appropriately
9. Troubleshooting Code and Developing Best Practices
1. Utilize comments to identify different parts of your document
2. Format your code for easier troubleshooting and reading
3. Name files and directories using common naming conventions
4. Identify browser compatibility issues

These activities will contribute to your grade:

Class Participation consists of:

Timely attendance, asking and answering questions.

Final letter grades will be assigned as follows:

When is an Assignment considered late?

Late exercises will have their value reduced as shown here:

For details see Grading Weights page.

Missed Quizzes and Exams

If you miss a quiz or exam, the procedures and penalties differ according to whether or not you informed the instructor in advance.

1. If you know you'll miss a quiz or exam, let the instructor know as far in advance as possible. You and the instructor can arrange to make up the quiz or exam without penalty, if you complete the make-up according to the instructor's alternative instructions.
2. If you miss a quiz or exam unexpectedly, contact the instructor as soon as possible.
   • Quizzes may be made up with a late penalty of 10% for each weekday late.
   • You may not be allowed to make up an exam. If you are allowed to make it up, there will be a late pentaly of 10% for each weekday it is late.
   • A quiz or exam is considered "late" if it is taken after its officially scheduled time. However, the instructor may move the "late" date/time back if you can document an emergency that directly prevented you from taking the quiz or exam at the officially scheduled time.

Independent Work:

All students are expected to work independently, except when assigned specifically by the instructor to work together in groups or teams. Writing assignments should be done entirely by each individual student, though proof-reading and language critique by others is acceptable. Material quoted or inserted from other authors' work must be properly referenced, and may not exceed a reasonable proportion of the student's work. Students violating this principle will be subject to discipline as described in the WCC Student Handbook. Specifically, in this class:

1. The first violation will result in a zero (0) grade for the assignment.
2. The second violation will result in automatic failure (F grade) in the course.

Email to the Instructor:

Because email is one of the primary ways business professionals communicate, we will treat class email as business communication. Also, because busy people (like you and your instructor) can get overwhelmed with email, we will follow certain rules for identifying email. This means:

1. In the subject line of your email, include your name, your class and section, and the name of the assignment the email is about. Example:
   Subject: Sarah Strong, CIS 100 sec.03 W21h
   If you have a question or need help, please put question or Help in the subject line.
2. Check your spelling and grammar. Poor spelling or English usage is unacceptable in business communication.
3. Don't use informal email-lingo - but emoticons and common abbreviations are acceptable in some circumstances.

Email that does not meet these standards will be returned with the note, "Please use business email standards". (This could result in an assignment being counted late.)

Disruptive Behavior

Disruptive behavior is any behavior that makes it difficult for you or other students to learn. Disruptive behavior is unfair to everybody in the class, and cannot be tolerated.

Disruptive behavior will be handled as follows:

• First occurrence: disruptive student(s) will be asked to stop the disruptive behavior.
• Second occurrence: disruptive student(s) will be required to leave the room. WCC Security will be called upon to assist if necessary. The student will be counted as not having attended class that day.
• Third occurrence: disruptive student(s) will be required to leave the room, and will be referred to the Vice President for Student Services with a recommendation for suspension. The case will then be handled in accordance with Board of Trustees Policy 4095 "STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES".

Visitors in the Classroom

According to WCC Policy, only registered students are allowed in classrooms. Exceptions will be made only at the instructor's discretion. Visitors who disrupt the educational process in any way will be required to leave. If the visitor is a child, the student responsible for the child will be required to leave the class as well.

Getting Help

The CIS Department and WCC are committed to giving you every possible chance to succeed in this class. Several sources of help are available if you find your work difficult or hard to understand:

1. Ask for help in class! We're here to help, and people who ask for help are the ones who succeed.
2. See me! I'll be glad to help you. Since I'm retired, I don't come in to the office on a regular basis, but if you ask I'll see if we can find a time that works for both of us to get together. Before and after class often work best.
3. Request a tutor! If you start falling behind and need more help than the lab assistants or I can give you, visit Learning Support Services and ask for a tutor.
4. Request special needs accomodation if you are eligible! This is also available through Learning Support Services, and I will be happy to refer to you LSS or take you over to see them.