Syllabus for IT-130

Joseph (Yosef) Mendelsohn

 

Summary of the course

Introduction to basic concepts of the Internet and World-Wide Web. Major topics are history of computing and the internet, roles and operation of web browsers and servers, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Programming.

 

This course satisfies the Scientific Inquiry Elective Liberal Studies Requirement.

 

 

Textbooks and printed resources

I do not require you to purchase a book for the course. However, I STRONGLY suggest that you either purchase a book or bookmark one on your browser. The good news is that you have access to numerous texts in their entirety through Safari books which can be accessed through the DePaul Library’s website. See the Resources page for the link and for some suggestions.  

 

Prerequisites

None, although some familiarity with computers is assumed.

 

 

Are you in the right course? (for IT-130 students)

IT 130 The Internet and the Web teaches how to create web sites by writing HTML from scratch (using only a text editor) and teaches very basic programming in JavaScript. We will not be using tools such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver. 

 

HCI 201 Multimedia and the World Wide Web teaches how to create web sites using a tool like FrontPage or Dreamweaver and it covers design principles for web sites.  That course is less technical than IT 130.

 

HCI 201 covers a little HTML and CSS, whereas IT 130 covers a lot of HTML and CSS, and also JavaScript.

 

The three main IT 130 topics are HTML, CSS, JavaScript.

 

Both courses teach how to create web sites.  You probably don't need to take both, but if you do plan to take both, it is better to take HCI 201 first.

 

Liberal Studies Requirements:

·         IT 130 satisfies the “Scientific Inquiry: Elective” Liberal Studies requirement.

·         HCI 201 satisfies the “Scientific Inquiry: Quantitative” Liberal Studies requirement.

·         See http://las.depaul.edu/lsp/public_html/index.html for a complete list of courses that satisfy Liberal Studies requirements.

 

 

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COURSE RESOURCES

1.    Course web page  http://condor.depaul.edu/ymendels/it130  Everything comes from here.

2.    Course Online (COL) – see link at top of course web page

3.    Office Hours (see below for times & locations)

4.      Tutoring – see link at top of course web page

5.    Discussion Group – access this group via COL

6.    Software resources and useful websites:  See ‘Resources’ from the course web page

 

1.  The course web page:

Your one-stop-shop for this course. 

http://condor.depaul.edu/ymendels/it130

 

         Announcements

         Assignments

         Course documents

         Example web pages

         Lecture notes (PowerPoint slides)

         Assignments are submitted via COL (Course Online)

 

Lecture notes:  Notes and files for each lecture will be posted at least one day before lecture.  However, please note that I reserve the right to make updates at any time. I would recommend that you print out the lecture slides (if you choose to) no earlier than the day before lecture.  They will typically be in Powerpoint format. If you don’t have PowerPoint, you can download a free viewer here.

 

 

Tree-friendly IT-130:

If you want to print these lecture notes, you can save paper by printing 6 slides on a page, as follows:

         Select File→Print.

         Under “Print what”, select Handouts.

         Select 6 slides.

         I strongly recommend that you print out the presentations ahead of time and bring them to class with you. This will enable you to scribble quick notes or “star” important concepts, etc. 

 

 

2.  What is Course Online (COL)?

COL is the method by which Distance Learning (DL) students take the course. However, it is also an important resource for in-class students as this is where you will be sumitting your assignments.

 

COL is used to:

1.    View the lectures for DL students (sometimes available to in-class students as well) 

2.    Submit assignments

3.    Receive grades and grader feedback

4.    Engage in discussion groups

 

https://col.cdm.depaul.edu

 

Login with your CampusConnect ID and password.

 

 

3. Office Hours:

·         Please see the link at the top of the course page. Note that my office hours DO change from time to time, so please be sure to verify the link.

 

 

4. Tutoring:  Free – make use of it!  See link to the tutoring page at the top of the course web page.

 

 

5. Class Discussion Group:  Some people have found such groups very helpful in the past. I would encourage my DL students in particular to try it out.  From COL click on the Collaboration Tools menu and then go to Collaboration Sites -> View My Collaboration Sites. Discussion groups will typically only be made available when courses are being recorded for distance learning. I will discuss this in class.

 

 

6. Required software and other resources:  You will need to make use of several of the resources listed at the top of the class web page.

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PLEASE NOTE:

Please remember that anything you do in the classroom directly affects people around you.  Doing any of the following is distracting and disrespectful to your classmates and your instructor.  This includes:

-       Walking in to class late / Leaving class early (unless discussed with the instructor ahead of time)

-       Exiting the class during lecture (try to go to the bathroom, etc before class!)

-       Checking cell phones / blackberrys / pdas for texts, incoming calls, e-mails, etc

-       Surfing the web

 

Contacting me:

E-Mail:  JosephMendelsohn@gmail.com 

I will be much more willing to go over code, assignments, etc during office hours than via e-mail.  I will try to answer specific questions, but will not simply debug code via e-mail.  Though I try to check e-mail frequently, I am not always able to do so.

 

I will make every effort to ensure that distance learning (DL) students receive prompt replies to email.

 

When e-mailing me, it is very important that you include your name and section number (not course number) in the subject. I have a pretty stringent spam-filter on my e-mail, so if you don’t do this, your e-mail may well end up missed in my spam folder.

Eg:  Subject: Jon Stewart, 702, question on assignment #2

 

 

Assignments:

All assignments are submitted via Course Online (see above).

Late assignments will NOT be accepted. The deadline for submission can be seen on COL.

 

Assignments will be posted almost every week.

 

QUIZZES:

Most weeks there will be a short quiz before lecture. The quiz will begin PROMPTLY at the beginning of class. You will typically have 15 minutes to complete and submit it via COL. There will be between 5 and 7 quizzes throughout the course. Because students will be absent from class from time to time, you are allowed to miss two quizzes. If you complete all of the quizzes, then your two lowest quizzes will be dropped in the calculation of your letter grade. I will explain more about how these work during the first lecture.

 

Using the Computer Labs:

IT-130 is a lab course and as such, a good amount of work will be done in the labs. The exact times and dates will be posted on the course web page.

 

Students accessing CTI lab or server resources for the first time must activate their CTI accounts before they can be used.  You don’t need to do this if you won’t be using the CTI labs.

 

Here is a list of CTI 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.

 

You are welcome to bring a laptop to class – but PLEASE: no browsing/chatting/facebooking etc while lecture is going on.

 

Consider purchasing a flash drive:  Your life in IT 130 may be easier if you own a USB flash drive (also called a flash drive, 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, or even Walgreens.

 

Grading:

Grading Breakdown:

·         Assignments (lowest grade is dropped): 50%

·         Quizzes: 15%

·         Final Exam: 20% - YOU MUST PASS THE FINAL EXAM IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE.

·         Final Project: 15%

 

Grading Scale:

Points

Grade

Points

Grade

93 or above

A

73 - 76

C

90 - 92

A -

70 - 72

C -

87 - 89

B +

67 - 69

D +

83 - 86

B

60 - 66

D

80 - 82

B -

less than 60

F

77 - 79

C +

 

 

 

 

Exams:

Attendance for tests is mandatory and makeups will not be offered. A score of 0 will be recorded if a test is missed without prior consultation. The only exceptions considered will be medical absences, and these must be documented by a physician's note.

Software

 

PLuS Program for Students with Learning Disabilities:

The Productive Learning Strategies (PLuS) Program at DePaul University is a year-round comprehensive program designed to meet the needs of DePaul University students with specific learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorders, as well as, associated disorders such as Asperger's Syndrome, Bipolarism, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, etc. The PLuS Program serves some 400+ students enrolled in colleges and schools university-wide, undergraduate and graduate, both full-time and part-time. Web page: http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/plus/

 

University/CDM Policies:

Online Instructor Evaluation

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online at https://mycti.cti.depaul.edu/mycti

Email

 

Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.

 

Academic Integrity Policy

This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/

Plagiarism

 

The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course 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 any 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.

 

Incomplete

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 College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.