Homework

Homework Assignment 1

Due Thusday, Apr 7, 2011

Note 1: Some words in this HW are hyperlinks. Do not just print this page without checking out the links!
Note 2: For this assignment you will need to transfer files into your account on the server students.depaul.edu. How To Use SSH explains how to do this.

• Have your account on students.depaul.edu set-up and working properly.
• Login to your students account. Check that there is (or set up) a folder called public_html. This will be the location of all your web pages and web related documents. For details on obtaining an account, setting permissions, changing your password, etc., see Personal Sites for Students.
• In your public_html folder create a subfolder named HCI201. In this folder, create a subfolder named images. (Remember, Unix is case sensitive! Stay consistent when referring to your files and folders. Don't use spaces in your file names.)

Textbook Reading

• Chapters 4 & 5

Required Files

On the C drive of the PC in front of you (or on your home computer), create a new folder, name the folder with your last name. Now create a subfolder of yourname folder, name it HCI201. Finally, create a subfolder of HCI201 and name it images.

Save these three files to your PC: hw1-yourname.htm, mystyle.css, and hangout.png. The first two go in your HCI201 folder and the third goes in your images folder. Obtain a digital photo of yourself and put it in the images folder also (you may want to reduce the size of your photo - I explain one way of doing that in hw1-yourname.htm).

The file hw1-yourname.htm is the file you will edit, transfer into your students account, and submit a link to it.

The mystyle.css file is your stylesheet and it's what defines various aspects of your page's layout (font size, font color, background color, margins, etc.). You can change your site's entire layout or one aspect of it (the font style, size, color, etc.) by modifying the mystyle.css file and your entire site will reflect the update.

Using & Editing hw1-yourname.htm

You will need to do extensive editing to the hw1-yourname.htm file. If you use Notepad, then it would probably be easiest to have both hw1-yourname.htm and mystyle.css opened simultaneously. Also, have hw1-yourname.htm opened in a web browser in the background.

Start by reading my notes in hw1-yourname.htm and learn how to customize the file to your liking. Keep checking the HTML code in hw1-yourname.htm to see how the different styles are called up.

Notice all the design and layout is controlled in the mystyle.css file so that's the file you will be updating to change the look and feel of hw1-yourname.htm. Remember, the mystyle.css is your master stylesheet.

Use the photo of yourself to replace the one of Otis.

Main Content of hw1-yourname.htm File

Most of your homework assignments in the next few weeks will be web pages for a professional web site. Come up with a topic for this site. The site must be business oriented in some way. No 'personal' pages (i.e. lists of pictures and things you like). It can be an existing organization (family or friend's business, campus organization) or an imaginary one. Submit a proposal of at least three paragraphs describing:

• What is the organization?
• Why did you choose it?
• How will the site help the organization?
• What types of pages do you plan to include (photo gallery, testimonials, history, mission, credits page, order form, other)?
• What challenges do you foresee in creating these pages?

Make sure you address all of these items to receive maximum points.

Technology Questions

In another section of your hw1-yourname.htm file, please answer these questions:

1. What percentage of the teachers you've had seem to embrace the use of technology in their instruction? How is the learning experience different for you versus learning with teachers who avoid technology? Can you give me examples?
2. What technologies do you use for personal communications? Do you think they can be used in your educational environment for improving instruction and if so, how?
3. If there is one thing that you wished your teachers understood about you and how you learn, what would that be?

After you get hw1-yourname.htm looking just like you want it, upload (using SSH) it into your HCI201 folder in your students account. Also, upload mystyle.css into the same folder. Upload your photo and hangout.png into the images subfolder.

Submitting Your Homework

• Use COLweb to submit the URL:
  like → http://students.depaul.edu/~yourlogin/HCI201/hw1-yourname.htm (this is your proposal file)
• Since there is just one line, please submit it in the comment box provided by the COLweb submission system.
• Do not submit the file itself. All I want is a link to the file.
• Do not email the link or file to me. You must submit it using the COLweb system.
• See Submission Guidelines for details.

Thank you.

 

 

Posted: 3-26-2011