Visual Technologies 1400 - Introduction to Internet Development
Week One
Introduction and overview of the class, syllabus, student introductions, expectations, objectives, and assignments. Overview of course procedures and grading. Questions and Answers. Presentation of the VT 1400 Web site.
General Review Assignment. Review the Web site and familiarize yourself with it.
Discuss and Examine the following:
- What is the Internet?
- Internet Infrastructure
- Internet Communications
- Internet Software
- Internet Browsers
- Conceptual overview of Internet access and networking technologies
- Bandwidth and speed
- Searching and findability issues on the Internet
- US and global perspectives on internet infrastructure
Week Two
The Language of the Internet -- Internet terminology. Acronyms and terms including http, https, dns, ftp, url, html, xhtml, css, php, isp, ssl, host, server, client, browser, interface, user experience, preferred user experience, domain, domain name registration, search engines, top listings, etc.
Hands-on experience with HTML Basics. Overview of html, how it works, tags, html editors, why learn html, view source in browsers, common elements, links, graphics, internal and external links, absolute and relative links, electronic text, downloading graphics, constructing a basic web page.
W3schools.com
Web Development Resources
W3 Organization - HTML Specifications
Week Three, Four, and some of Five
Tables and more tables.
Week Six
Web Site Evaluations. In class we will discuss elements of web sites that make it or break it such as follows:
- Useful Content. Is the content useful, engaging, and relevant?
- Clear Purpose. Is the purpose clear? Is the purpose to educate, inform, entertain, sell, advertise, etc.?
- Image and Media. How visually appealing is the site? How does the rank in design, graphics, text, colors, typography, video, sound, and other media, etc?
- Navigation. How easy is it to get around? Is it easy to find what you are looking for? How about the flow, ease of use, organization?
- Speed. How fast is the site? How are the overall connections speeds? Is it consistent and reliable? Does it work on the specified computers and the targeted user/audience?
- Functionality. How is the functionality? Does the site provide access to logins, account information, transactions, searching, sorting, etc.
- Interactivity. How are the exchanges between the computer and user?
- Findable. Is the site easily found? How are the search engine listings? What is the site's link popularity? What about branding, print, and other advertising, etc.?
- Contact Information. Is contact information easily found and available? Does the site make it easy to be contacted?
- Substitute User Defined Criteria (Such as Feedback -- responsiveness of the site to user requirements OR Stickiness -- Do you want to return OR Annoyances -- such as pop-ups, ads, downloads, etc.
- Comments
- Totals
Week Seven
Deconstructing a Web site. Deconstruct and reconstruct a Web site. We will go online and review the process of downloading html source code, graphics, and text and reconstruct the site (locally).
This will be a follow along with the instructor process. We will also review more HTML codes and have a significant amount of time deconstructing and reconstructing web sites.
Week Eight
Simple Web Site - Personal Home Page
Week Eight
Presentations of Personal Home Pages and Midterm Exam. We will review for the midterm exam and take the midterm exam. We will also go over the midterm exam and answer any question you may have.
Week Nine
Team Project Web Site. This project divides students into teams of 3-4. These teams will create a commercial level web site. The team will brainstorm what project, company, organization to work on, and then gather the content (photographs, maps, text, graphics, logos, and other information), storyboard and organize the site, determine the purpose, create the interface, work with an outside organization, and present the site toward the end of the semester.
NOTE: During weeks 9-12 - Student Questions Weeks. During this time period students should bring web development questions or concepts they would like presented or discussed. The instructor will set a schedule of presentations from what the students want. There is time for approximately 6-8 topic presentations.
Week Ten
Storyboard and Content Gathering. Techniques for gathering content, organizing content, managing content will be discussed. Sources for content, copyright laws, intellectual ownership laws, penalties, etc. will also be discussed.
Week Eleven
Internet Graphics. This week will be spent exploring the tools used to develop original graphics to be used on the Internet. Specifically, Photoshop, ImageReady, and Illustrator will be discussed as multimedia and Internet development tools.
Week Twelve
Writing Original Content. We will discuss the necessity of writing original content and some of the techniques used in the different mediums.
Week Thirteen
Group Presentations.
Week Fourteen
Group Presentations.
Week Fifteen
Preparation for Final Exam
Take the Final Exam
The instructor reserves the right to change the specifics of this class (weekly topics of instruction, assignments, assignment details, etc.) as required for the betterment of the class. Changes will be announced in a timely manner during the instruction periods.
Last Updated 01/05/08
Send questions and comments to
pedersen@dixie.edu
