INFO 240-01
INFO 240-10
INFO 240-11
INFO 240-12
Information Technology Tools and Applications
Fall 2016 Syllabus

Raymond Dean
E-mail
Office Hours: Virtually by e-mail


Course Links
Course Calendar
Resources
iSchool eBookstore
Syllabus Links
Software
Textbooks
CLOs 
Competencies
Prerequisites

This course does not use Canvas

At least 1 day before the semester starts, you will receive a MySJSU message with instructions for accessing the course website.

Course Description

We will concentrate on using modular web design techniques with discussion and application in the following areas:

  • HTML5
  • CSS3
  • Web 2.0
  • images and other media
  • information architecture
  • cultural issues in website design
  • accessibility and usability
  • responsive web design
  • XML/XSLT
  • JavaScript
  • PHP

You will be assigned a final website project that will require you to use most of the concepts learned throughout the semester.

Throughout the course, you will be expected to create a weekly blog entry addressing an issue relevant to the week's topic of discussion.

Course Requirements

Technology Requirements
Your computer and Internet access must meet or exceed the minimum requirements described on the iSchool Home Computing requirements page.

Measuring Student Learning Outcomes

14 Weekly Assignments 700 points (70%)
Weekly Blog/Participation 100 points (10%)
Final Project 200 points (20%)

Late Assignments & Incompletes

If you have an illness or other extenuating circumstance, please contact me prior to the assignment due date.

Incompletes are given only in very rare situations. An incomplete will only be given if an unexpected life event occurs preventing you from completing the final project.

Course Calendar

DatesTopicAssignment
08/24 - 08/30 Introduction, history of the web, how the web works, technical setup, UNIX-like servers

assignment supports: CLO #1, CLO #4
Assignment 1 Due:
Tues, 08/30 11:59 PM PT
08/31 - 09/06 Basic HTML5, web standards

assignment supports: CLO #4, CLO #6
Assignment 2 Due:
Tues, 09/06 11:59 PM PT
09/07 - 09/13 CSS3 & Modular Design

assignment supports: CLO #3, CLO #5
Assignment 3 Due:
Tues, 09/13 11:59 PM PT
09/14 - 09/20 Semantic HTML5 & Advanced Selectors

assignment supports: CLO #3CLO #5
Assignment 4 Due:
Tues, 09/20 11:59 PM PT
09/21 - 09/27 Images: optimizing for the web, basic image manipulation

assignment supports: CLO #5, CLO #6
Assignment 5 Due:
Tues, 09/27 11:59 PM PT
09/28 - 10/04 CSS3 Layouts: CSS box model, layouts, floats

assignment supports: CLO #5
Assignment 6 Due:
Tues, 10/04 11:59 PM PT
10/05 - 10/11 Responsive Web Design

assignment supports:  CLO #3, CLO #4CLO #5 CLO #6, CLO #7
Assignment 7 Due:
Tues, 10/11 11:59 PM PT
10/12 - 10/18

Design Issues: info architecture, cultural issues, accessibility/usability, SEO

assignment supports: CLO #3CLO #6

Assignment 8 Due:
Tues, 10/18 11:59 PM PT

10/19 - 10/25

Tables and nested lists

assignment supports: CLO #4CLO #5
Assignment 9 Due:
Tues, 10/25 11:59 PM PT
10/26 - 11/01

Navigation menus and print CSS stylesheets

assignment supports: CLO #5CLO #6

Assignment 10 Due:
Tues, 11/01 11:59 PM PT
11/02 - 11/08 Forms and programming languages (PHP & JavaScript)

assignment supports: CLO #2, CLO #8, CLO #9
Assignment 11 Due:
Tues, 11/08 11:59 PM PT
11/09 - 11/15 Digital Storytelling: Embedding media

assignment supports: CLO #6, CLO #7
Assignment 12 Due:
Tues, 11/15 11:59 PM PT
11/16 - 11/22 Social Web & CMS: Web 2.0 and an introduction to content management systems

assignment supports: CLO #3, CLO #7
Assignment 13 Due:
Tues, 11/22 11:59 PM PT

11/23 - 12/06

Thanksgiving: 
11/24 - 11/25

XML & XSLT

assignment supports: CLO #10
Assignment 14 Due:
Tues, 12/06 11:59 PM PT

 

12/07 - 12/12

Wrap-up, final project  

FINAL PROJECT DUE
Friday, 12/16 11:59 PM PT

Software

Information about installing and configuring software will be provided during the first week of class.

sFTP Client:

Text/HTML Editor:

Image Editor (one of these):

Browser & Extension:

Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

INFO 202

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Understand the client-server relationship and how to work with a UNIX server.
  2. Identify the difference between client- and server-side Web programming languages.
  3. Develop conceptual and practical strategies for presenting information on the Web.
  4. Create content in XHTML and HTML5 formats.
  5. Design interfaces using CSS.
  6. Present information on the Web with a consideration for usability, accessibility, and cultural issues.
  7. Work with Web 2.0 technologies such as RSS, blogs, wikis, collaborative writing tools, and digital storytelling tools.
  8. Examine some simple JavaScript programs.
  9. Incorporate interactive forms onto a Web page using a simple PHP program.
  10. Build an XML file and access it via an XSLT stylesheet.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

INFO 240 supports the following core competencies:

  1. E Design, query, and evaluate information retrieval systems.
  2. G Demonstrate understanding of basic principles and standards involved in organizing information such as classification and controlled vocabulary systems, cataloging systems, metadata schemas or other systems for making information accessible to a particular clientele.
  3. H Demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies.

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

  • McFarland, D. (2015). CSS: The missing manual (4th ed.). O'Reilly Media. Available through Amazon: 1491918055arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
Below 67 F

 

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

  • C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
  • B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
    For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  • A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.

In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.

icon showing link leads to the PDF file viewer known as Acrobat Reader Download Adobe Acrobat Reader to access PDF files.

More accessibility resources.