Fall 2009 Syllabus... COMS 326 Web Production
| Instructor: Bob Stepno | Class section, time, days, room: |
| School of Communication |
|
| phone: 540-831-6220 | email: rstepno@radford.edu (better than phone) |
| office: 704 Fairfax, K-202 | office hours: Monday & Wednesday 11 a.m-noon and 2-4 p.m. |
For up-to-date information, check http://www.radford.edu/rstepno each week
ÒDigital nativesÓ born after the creation of the Internet have had the World Wide Web to work and play with for almost 20 years, but few of the millions of people who use it every day understand how the Web came about, the standards that hold it together, how Web sites are created, what tools are available to build them, and the real secret that allowed this most powerful of communication media to blossom so rapidly.
Whether you plan to create Web sites for a living or for fun, or just want to understand how they fit into our media culture, the goal for this course is to build on what you already know, correct any misconceptions youÕve had about Web design being rocket science, introduce a variety of tools Web producers use – and prepare you to find new tools to meet your needs in a very exciting online future.
TodayÕs sophisticated Web productions are still sometimes one-person operations. Others are team efforts – involving writers, researchers, editors (of text, audio and video), programmers, graphic designers, multimedia producers, photographers and marketing departments. With the rise of blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social-networking sites, some Web organizations even hire specialists on Òsocial softwareÓ and audience interaction. You wonÕt learn to do all of that in one course! But it will help you evaluate whatÕs out there, start to sketch a roadmap for further study, and begin (or continue) building your personal Web portfolio.
Students in this course usually have varied backgrounds and levels of design or computer experience. Share what you know and make this class more of a creative studio experience.
Formal course description:
Web Production (3)
Instruction and practice in designing interactive World Wide Web sites for the mass media. Course also introduces Web aesthetics, digital imaging and other applications for the web. Prerequisite: MSTD 130, COMM 230 and MSTD 226 or ITEC 225. (Both MSTD and COMM are now ÒCOMSÓ)
Texts, Equipment and News
Books:
Hardware:
Readings
Lists of weekly required readings, additional supplementary texts, library reserves, downloadable software and useful Web sites will be linked to the course home page, http://www.radford.edu/rstepno/09fall/326
(During the first week, read the introductions and first chapters of both books, browse the professorÕs Web site, and read Web designer Jason Cranford TeagueÕs essay "Everyone is a Web Designer" at http://bit.ly/1vA9wg )
Library resources: McConnell Library has numerous HTML and Web design books available in e-book format; the print editions of several of them will be on reserve for this class at the library front desk.
Become a Web Information Addict:
It is terribly easy to make terrible Web pages, but not hard to make pretty good ones. As part of the work in this course, you should develop an eye for Web pages that work, that meet the needs of their audiences, or that surprise us with new ways of doing things. Few people 20 years ago expected a world of digital media quite like the one we have with You Tube, Facebook, Google and Amazon. At the same time, a number of online media ideas that looked good at first faded away quickly.
Not only will you learn to plan, design and code Web pages in this class, you should start keeping up on new developments in Web technology by becoming regular users of Web sites about the Web, industry publications, blogs, podcasts and Twitter feeds. Subscribe to the RSS feeds of blogs like PaidContent and TechCrunch. Learn the jargon, history and people of the Web, including names like Tim Berners-Lee, Marc Andreesen, Craig Newmark, Khoi Vinh and Adrian Holovaty.
For a start, try the Web version of some ÒoldÓ media – see the tech sections of The Wall Street Journal (http://wsj.com) and The New York Times (http://nytimes.com), and online standards like Wired (http://wired.com) magazine, Slate (http://slate.com), and the OÕReilly publishing companyÕs pages (http://oreilly.com). Locally, see whatÕs doing at New River Voice (http://newrivervoice.com), The Collegiate Times at Virginia Tech (http://collegiatetimes.com), RU Today (http://rutoday.radford.edu), Whim (http://ruwhim.com) and The Tartan (http://thetartan.com).
Thanks to the Web, you donÕt have to do all your learning at Radford. As the semester progresses, we will visit MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley and Harvard in search of Web expertise.
What You Will Learn
Some specific things you will be practicing and learning include how toÉ
Depending on the time available and the experience and interests of the class, we will at least touch on: the Unix and OS-X operating systems; Òsemantic Web,Ó usability and accessibility issues; open-source and free software, especially code editors and page creation programs; and advanced tools for creating dynamic and interactive pages, including Flash, Javascript, forms, CMS systems and a variety of ÒWeb 2.0Ó services.
Schedule changes & e-mail
Like the news itself, expect the class to change as we go along. The assignment calendar may be altered to take advantage of special campus events, speakers, breaking news and other opportunities. Changes in the schedule will be announced in class, by e-mail, and on the Web. Check your Radford.edu e-mail and my website often. If you use another e-mail account, forward your Radford mail to it.
If you have questions of any kind, stop in during office hours or send me a note at rstepno@radford.edu. I have other e-mail accounts, but that is the one I use for all course-related mail. I check it several times a day, but rarely after 9 p.m. or before 9 a.m.
I may not be able to respond to all mail individually. If you have an especially good question, I may write back to the entire class or discuss it at our next class meeting.
E-mail as user-interface
Your first Òinformation designÓ lesson: When you send e-mail, think of the ÒSubjectÓ line as part of your story. Make it an informative headline, not just a label. Make it specific. Mail that is unnamed, vague or generic is easy to miss, or mistake for spam.
When you write to the professor, please put your name, course number (326-1 or 326-2) and topic in the ÒSubjectÓ line.
Not: ÒHey prof!Ó or ÒWeekly assignmentÓ
Preferred: "JBrown, 326-2, Zen garden assignment" or ÒJSmith, 326-01, dog ate my computerÓ
Being here: Attendance, Assignments and Deadlines
My attendance policy is inspired by professional media organizations: You are expected to come to every class, arrive on time, and deliver your work on deadline. When youÕre here, be here: No e-mail, Facebook, texting, online gambling or off-topic Web browsing, please.
I know there are good reasons to miss class, so donÕt bother with doctorÕs notes or written apologies. BUT after the second week of class, when add-drop changes are over, if you have more than three absences for any reason come see me. Your grade for the course may be reduced by one letter for each absence after the third, unless you show that you have kept up with both the in-class and homework assignments. After four or five such absences, we should talk about your withdrawing from the class. In the event of a flu outbreak or other emergency that keeps classes from meeting, we will Òmeet in cyberspaceÓ using online systems and e-mail.
You will have online or on-paper exercises in almost every class. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what they were and do them on your own.
If you know in advance that you will miss a class, see me to arrange a catch-up assignment. If you miss a class, check my website and contact a classmate for assignments. I may not have a chance to answer Òtell me what I missedÓ e-mails on Tuesday or Thursday, but I will attempt to update an Òexercises we did in classÓ list on my Web page. If an assignment was done in class or due as homework the day you were out, submit it electronically and bring a printed copy to the next class you attend for full credit.
Class Cancellations
If class is cancelled because of a winter storm, flu outbreak or other emergency, it is your responsibility to check my course Web page for any assignment and schedule changes – and do the work.
Want to know if a class is cancelled?
In addition to local television and radio stations, information about classes being canceled and administrative offices closing due to inclement weather will be available from the university switchboard by calling 831-5000 or on the universityÕs Web page.
If you
are confused by conflicting announcements, you may call the switchboard for
clarification. The switchboard will update information on the day of the
closing by 6 a.m.
More info: http://www.radford.edu/weatherpolicy.html
Important Note About Disability Services
If you are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located in Room 32, Tyler Hall, telephone 831-6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with me at the beginning of the semester.
The Radford University Honor Code
By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. This class will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code, which reads as follows:
I do hereby resolve to uphold the Honor Code of Radford University by refraining from lying, from the stealing or unauthorized possession of property and from violating the Standards of Student Academic Integrity.
Those Standards of Student Academic Integrity are spelled out in the Student Handbook. McConnell Library has related material online: http://lib.radford.edu/tutorial/X/learn.asp
Assignments and Grading for COMS 326
Multimedia site-review assignment (cumulative midterm project), 25%
Class participation, homework assignments and exercises, 20%
Quizzes on assigned reading and visiting speakers, 20%
Final project, including proposal, presentation and self-evaluation, 35%
The first project will be a six-part report on the use or multimedia (video, animation, slideshows, sound, etc.) as a storytelling device on the Web, demonstrating the coding techniques and design concepts covered during the first half of the course.
Quizzes will test your knowledge of Web design issues and terminology gained from the course books, tutorials, class discussions and visiting speakers.
The final project will be to design a working website using all of the competencies covered in the course. The site can be for an organization, individual or business. A preliminary proposal, site map, class presentation and self-evaluation of the project will be part of the grade. A detailed assignment sheet will be distributed before the mid-term.
The calendar on the following pages will be available in expanded form online, with weekly textbook readings, links to online demonstrations and tutorials, and site-building tasks to be accomplished.
Web Production COMS 326 -- Fall 09 Schedule
Date |
topics |
||
Week 1 |
9/1 |
T |
Introductions to the course, the lab and
each otherÉ |
9/3 |
Th |
Basic tools: Working with HTML using simple text editors. The power of hypertext and semantic markup: ÒWeb 2.0 is Us/ing UsÓ |
|
Week 2 |
9/8 |
T |
A little Unix, ssh and chmodÉ See pages at http://www.radford.edu/rstepno/09fall/326 Discuss evolution of Web standards, tools, and alphabet soupÉ from Unix, FTP, SSH, HTML, XHTML, XML, CSS and RSS to Apache, LAMP and Ajax.
|
9/10 |
Th |
||
Week 3 |
9/15 |
T |
More table and link codingÉ Discuss testing, browser wars and cross-platform issues. Review of imaging concepts, file types, file compression, and some hexadecimalsÉ |
9/17 |
Th |
Structure, form, content, usability & accessibility... More CSSÉ Site types, audiences, and some history, from Arpanet to Googlezon. |
|
Week 4 |
9/22 |
T |
Documentation, comments and debugging |
9/24 |
Th |
Dreamweaver I – The user interface and site definition. |
|
Week 5 |
9/29 |
T |
Dreamweaver II – CSS with a purpose |
10/1 |
Th |
Dreamweaver III |
|
Week 6 |
10/6 |
T |
Dreamweaver IV |
10/8 |
Th |
Midterm project wrapup lab: Project deadline 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9 |
|
Week 7 |
10/13 |
T |
Read and review each otherÕs projects; discuss multimedia styles and techniques. |
10/15 |
Th |
Sharing and Web 2.0 tools: Wikis, Ning, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, RSS feeds, podcasts & more. |
|
Week 8 |
10/20 |
T |
Final project proposal brainstorming: Types of sites, audience needs, working with clients. |
10/22 |
Th |
Using audio and video files on your pages; MP3, Quicktime, Adobe Flash |
|
Week 9 |
10/27 |
T |
Build a media page |
10/29 |
Th |
Post project proposal draft by Friday, in HTML, with relevant links. |
|
Week 10 |
11/3 |
T |
More multimedia – proprietary tools and free software |
11/5 |
Th |
Review skills you have – or need – for project |
|
Week 11 |
11/10 |
T |
Complete site map for final project. CSS and multi-platform pages; Zen garden examples. |
11/12 |
Th |
Design for project |
|
Week 12 |
11/17 |
T |
Work on project page layouts, templates |
11/19 |
Th |
Post first draft of final project before leaving town. |
|
11/21-11/29 |
Thanksgiving break |
||
Week 13 |
12/1 |
T |
Site review and coding lab |
12/3 |
Th |
Site review and coding lab |
|
Week 14 |
12/8 |
T |
Present sites to class |
12/10 |
Th |
Final pages: Self-evaluation and portfolio. |
|
Exam week |
12/ |
Final project revision due at exam time below |
FINAL EXAM: Usual room, different day and time
326-01 normally meets TTh 3:30 p.m.; EXAM 8 a.m. Dec. 14 (Monday)
326-02 normally meets TTh 5 p.m.; EXAM 5:30 Dec. 15
(Tuesday)
Final exam periods are two hours long. There will be another class scheduled in our room at 12:30, so both exams must end on deadline – which is appropriate for a news writing class.
If you have an examination conflict or if you are scheduled to have THREE exams on one day, see the instructors to make alternative arrangements.
To double-check the exam time for this course or other classes: http://www.radford.edu/~registra/web_2009/exams_info_fall09.htm
Grading scale for projects
A: 90-100 percent. Work approaches professional-quality work – interesting site, attractive design, fully functional links and media including all assigned features.
B: 80-89 percent. Above average grasp of basics; may need some repair, but all assigned features are present; product is attractive, usable and on-time.
C: 70-79 percent. Shows a grasp of basic principles and has met most deadlines, but may have some broken links, clashing colors, slow-loading poorly-optimized images, or other bad design decisions.
D: 60-69 percent. Significant errors in coding or posting; incomplete, late or missing assigned features.
F: Fails to meet minimum standards. For example, major components broken or missing.
Time Requirement
Although this is a "lab" class, expect to work on projects outside of the classroom. In-class assignments and exercises, if not completed in class, must be posted in final form by 5 p.m. that Friday.
Digital Media Essentials
Save documents early and often. They are your responsibility. Always have a backup of your work. Use your Radford network server space (Òdrive HÓ), e-mail or a USB memory stick.
Be careful with Radford lab equipment and be considerate of other users. Report computer problems as soon as they occur and put a note on the computer to alert the next user.
Use the computer to accomplish class assignments and exercises, do not drift into Facebook, IM, e-mail, texting, online gambling and unassigned Web browsing.
Turn off your phone and put it out of sight while class is in session. Be here.
Your Teacher (this seems to require the third person):
Bob Stepno joined the Radford faculty in fall 2007 after more than 20 years as a writer and editor, then seven years as a teacher. He has worked for the nationÕs oldest (print) newspaper and one of its first online Ònewspapers.Ó He received his doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill so recently (December 2003) that calling him "doctor" still makes him look around for someone wearing a stethoscope.
A note for you
Thank you for choosing this class. If you have questions that arenÕt addressed in this document—or in any class—come talk about it, or at least send me e-mail (which I usually check several times a day, seven days a week). After all, youÕre the reason IÕm here!
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Fight viruses. Wash your hands before and after using any public computer.
From the RU administration
Radford University Students:
Novel H1N1 Flu: Virus Information
Novel
influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that first caused illness
in Mexico and the United States in March and April, 2009. ItÕs thought that
novel influenza A (H1N1) flu spreads in the same way that regular seasonal
influenza viruses spread, mainly through the coughs and sneezes of people who
are sick with the virus, but it may also be spread by touching infected objects
and then touching your nose or mouth. Novel H1N1 infection has been reported to
cause a wide range of flu-like symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat,
body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, many people also have
reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
As you may know, flu can be spread easily from person to person. Therefore, steps are being taken to prevent the spread of flu at Radford University for as long as possible, but we need your help to accomplish this.
We are working closely with the regional and Commonwealth of Virginia health departments to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our institution. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us through links through your course faculty member using various virtual communication portals.
For now, we are doing everything we can to keep our institution operating as usual. The following information is provided by the Center for Disease control including general preventative care that you can take to lessen the impact of the flu season on the campus:
Over the next few weeks you will see additional hand sanitization stations in many Radford University academic buildings, residence halls, food service locations, computer labs, and student centers. We encourage you to use the hand sanitizers frequently and especially when you are working at computer stations or using restroom facilities. Remember, hand sanitizers do not replace hand washing with soap and water.
If you become ill please access the Student Health Web Site through the RU Portal for detailed information and guidance from the Student Health Center.
ThereÕs more!
All the flu prep news thatÕs fit to print: http://oep.asp.radford.edu/PrepGuideflu.htm
HereÕs wishing you a safe, healthy and happy semesterÉ
Bob Stepno
http://www.radford.edu/rstepno
-30- (used to mean Òthe endÓ in the newspaper business)
something like Ò/htmlÓ on a Web page