IT-130: Introductory Computing for the WebSpring 2025About This SyllabusCatalog DescriptionPrerequisite KnowledgeAre you in the right course?Course InstructorAbout Your InstructorHow best to reach me?Ways to Get Help in this CourseCourse Grading BreakdownImportant Notes About Assignment and Exam ScoresSummer Quarter ModificationsApproximate Grading ScaleImportant DatesTextbooks and Other ResourcesCourse PoliciesQuizzesAssignmentsExams for Online StudentsYour Name Preference and pronounsCourse Management SystemNews PostingsExtra CreditRespect for Diversity and Inclusion at DePaul University as aligned with our Vincentian ValuesChanges to SyllabusGettng StartedCollege PoliciesOnline Course EvaluationsAcademic Integrity and PlagiarismIMPORTANT: You may only use code that has been covered in this course! Use of Artifical Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPTSharing / Posting of Course Materials (e.g. Chegg, CourseHero, etc)IncompleteAcademic PoliciesStudents with DisabilitiesDecorum / DeportmentAppendix 1: Web Design Requirements OutcomesAppendix 2: Tentative Schedule (subject to change)Module 1Module 2Module 3 Module 4Module 5Module 6Module 7Module 8Module 9Module 10
Location: Online
Meeting time: N/A (Asynchronous)
This syllabus is, admittedly, longer than most. However, because there is nearly always an online section in this course, it is very important that the key details are spelled out. Please be sure that you read the syllabus in its entirety. In addition, several questions that come up regularly throughout the course can be answered by referring back to this document. Please do refer to this syllabus!
IMPORTANT: Please note that this document represents the official syllabus. That is, while there is a video going over much of this document, that video is focused more on the online-only aspect of the course. For course specifics for a given quarter such as dates, grading breakdown, and so on, this document takes priority over the syllabus discussed in the video.
“An introduction to the Internet, the World Wide Web, and web development for students with a strong interest in technology. Students will create interactive web pages by writing HTML and CSS and by programming in JavaScript. Topics include the origins of the web, the roles and operations of web browsers and web servers, interacting with web applications through forms, and using style sheets to separate document structure and document formatting. PREREQUISITE(S): NONE”
IT-130 does not have any prerequisite courses. However, basic familiarity with computers is assumed. You should be able to create, delete, and move folders (directories) on your computer. You should be comfortable using the World Wide Web. You should know how to install basic software on your computer. If you are not able to meet any of these requirements, please see me to discuss whether or not you are equipped to take this course. You may use any operating system that you like.
No background in any kind of computer programming is required.
If you have already done some HTML and CSS, but no JavaScript, then you will probably benefit from the class.
If you have more than 4-5 weeks of experience of computer programming, then this course may be too basic for you.
Name: Joseph (‘Yosef’) Mendelsohn, M.D., M.S.
Email: josephmendelsohn@gmail.com
Address: CDM Building Room M-107 (M = “Mezzanine Floor’)
My faculty bio can be found here.
Email: I try to check emails regularly throughout the day. Sometimes I can reply to emails within an hour or two, sometimes it take several hours before I get to them. However, I do make every attempt to answer all emails within 24 hours. In the event that this does not happen, please do feel free to resend the email. You don't have to "apologize for disturbing" me as the fault is mine! I will never ignore an email from you. Therefore, if you do not receive a response from me, you may assume that the email got lost in the pile somewhere or ended up in my spam folder. In that case, please do resend it.
When e-mailing me, it is very important that you include your name and 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 in my spam folder. For example:
Subject: Gutierrez, IT-130: question about inline styles
Telephone: I am always willing to make phone appointments with students. However, please do NOT leave voicemail messages for me. The best way to reach me by far is via e-mail. If you wish to schedule a telephone appointment, e-mail me to do so.
Office Hours: I have regular office hours. You can find them here.
I am happy to arrange other mutually agreeable times to meet apart from my formal office hours, which I recognize are not convenient for online students in particular. If you wish to schedule an appointment, please email me at least 2-3 times that are good for you, and I will email you back with an appointment. This saves a lot of back-and-forth as we come up with an agreeable date and time. Also let me know if you prefer Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, or Telephone.
D2L Discussion Forum: Post course content questions to the D2L forum so I can answer you and share the answer with the class. NOTE: Posting to the discussion forum is the preferred way to ask for help or clarifications. There are many reasons why it is better than emailing me including:
Someone else in the class might answer you before I do. Your pforessor absolultey loves it when students help each other out!!
The professor am continually monitoring the forum. Therefore, I will always reply to questions that are posted. (Though I won’t of course simply give away answers or things like that!)
By posting to the forum instead of emailing the proefssor, ALL students can benefit from any assistance that is provided.
I hope this is obvious, but please be sure to NEVER post your own solutions to assignment or quiz questions. If it is impossible to ask your question without providng your code, then you should see a tutor or contact the professor.
CDM Tutors: Free tutoring is available for all students in this course. Please do make use of it! The tutoring center is located in the CDM building in downtown Chicago. Virtual tutoring for online students is also available. You can find out more information here.
Reach out to the Instructor: I am happy to hear from you if you have questions, if something sparks your interest, or if you are struggling with some aspect of the course. If you are struggling, I’d much rather hear from you sooner than later.
| Item | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Quizzes | 20% |
| Assignments | 30% (40% in summer) |
| Midterm Exam | 10% (No midterm in summer) |
| Final Exam | 40% |
Your lowest assignment score will be dropped (though not in the summer).
Your two lowest quiz results will be dropped.
A score of below 50% on the final exam cannot result in a course letter grade above a C-.
A score of below 50% on the final exam may require a consultation with the instructor in which you will be required to explain your code from assignments submitted during the course.
A score of below 40% on the final exam cannot result in a course letter grade above a D.
Missing any exam will result in a failing grade for the course.
Because there are only four assignments during summer quarter, and one less week worth of material covered, there will not be a dropped assignment during summer quarters.
There is no midterm exam.
| >=93 | A | 80 to <83 | B- | 67 to <70 | D+ | |||||
| 90 to < 93 | A- | 77 to < 80 | C+ | 60 to < 67 | D | |||||
| 87 to < 90 | B+ | 73 to < 77 | C | < 60 | F | |||||
| 83 to < 87 | B | 70 to < 73 | C- |
Drop Dates
It is important to note the drop dates the any course that you are taking. There are two separate dates to note:
Last day to drop the course without loss of tuition: April 1
Last day to withdraw from the course (though tuition fees are not refunded): May 16
You can find out those dates by checking the university calendar. For your convenience, I am including a link to the calendar here.
Exam Dates
Midterm Exam: During week #6. Online students will have a window of 3-5 days that week during which you can take the exam. This window almost always includes a weekend. The exact dates will be communicated to you during week 4 or 5 of the course.
Final Exam:
Window between June 5-10
The exam MUST be taken within this window. If you have extenuating circumstances and need to take it earlier, you may contact me. I cannot promise that I can accommodate you, but if it is possible, I will try my best to arrange it.
Information about the exam content will be sent out via News posting around week #7 of the quarter.
This course does not have a required text. Texts that you may find ueful include:
HTML5 & CSS3 Visual QuickStart Guide (8th Edition or later), Elizabeth Castro & Bruce Hyslop
Simply Javascript (Paperback), Kevin Yank & Cameron Adams /Sitepoint.
However, you do not need to purchased these! Both of these books are available online for free via the O'Reilly books database. You can access this database from DePaul library’s website. You can also search “DePaul Library O'Reilly Books” through Google.
Unlike assignments, all quizzes MUST be completed on time. If you miss the deadline a 0 will be recorded as the result for that quiz. (Remember that your two lowest quizzes are dropped).
While you may retake the quizzes as many times as you like for review, only your first submission will be recorded as your grade. The reason is that the answers are shown once you submit the quiz. The only exception is the syllabus quiz in which your highest score will be recorded and may be taken as many times as you like (until the deadline).
‘Feedback’: You will note that after you submit a quiz, there is a ‘Feedback’ link below certain questions. Please ALWAYS view these feedback comments. They frequently remind/reinforce certain important concepts.
Assignments have an official due date. However, there is also a "grace period" of two days during which they may be turned in, albeit with a small penalty (typically 3 points) per day late. Late assignments will not be accepted, as it is unfair to other students. However, unexpected events do happen in life, so for this reason, the lowest assignment score will be dropped in the calculation of your final grade.
Make sure that you submit the correct assignment! It is up to the student to ensure that their attachment is not empty, and also that it contains the appropriate files. Accidentally submitting, say, the previous week’s assignment will not be considered a valid excuse.
If you make modifications to an assignment that you have already submitted, you are welcome to upload the newer version to D2L provided, of course, that it is uploaded before the assignment deadline. I will always grade your most recent submission.
The following is very important, so please read it carefully!
As online students, your exams will be proctored at DePaul University. For students who live more than 30 miles from DePaul University, exams may be taken at licensed proctoring locations.
You register for exams through MyCDM. I will send out an email reminder asking you to register as the exam time approaches.
Exams must be completed within the timeframe provided.
A score of 0 will be recorded for the exam if it is not taken within the timeframe. Makeups will not be offered without very extenuating circumstances, and documentation will always be required. It is not possible to pass the course without taking the exam.
Exams are required. Students who do not take the exam will NOT receive a passing grade in the course.
The exam scheduling window will be opened about 2 weeks before the exam week. I will email the class when scheduling is available. Be sure to register PROPMTLY for proctored exams since preferred times and locations do fill up.
DO NOT DELAY IN REGISTERING! If you delay in registering for an exam, and all your preferred time slots are filled up, your only option is to contact the Online Learning staff to see if they can squeeze you in somewhere. Your professor is, unfortunately not able to assist with this as he does not have anything to do with exam proctoring.
Under extenuating circumstances, the professor may extend the exam window, but this will come with a significant (30 points) deduction on the exam. This is not to penalize any one student. Rather it is so that all students are treated fairly, and have the same time period and window in which to take the exam.
To reiterate: When you receive the News posting telling you to to register for exams, please be sure to do so promptly!
Important: When exam time comes around, please be sure to read the online student policies document for detailed information.
Exams MUST be taken either through DePaul’s online learning proctoring service. For students, who live more than 30 miles away from DePaul University, an exam may be taken at a certified proctoring center.
If you are unable to accept the course requirement that the exam must be taken at a proctored location (either at DePaul or at a licensed center), then you must not register for this course. No exceptions will be given. Please note that this is university policy (not my personal policy).
Unfortunately, online proctored exams are NOT an option.
Important: All questions relating to online exams should be directed to the online learning staff. That is, please do not contact me with questions about online exams. The online learning staff can be reached at olstaff@cdm.depaul.edu The reason you should contact the OL staff instead of me is that I do not have anything to do with the organization or scheduling of online exams. All of this is handled by CDM’s online learning staff.
For example, if you need to modify an existing exam reservation (i.e. change day or time), please email olstaff@cdm.depaul.edu if the Exam App prevents you from making changes
Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender, gender variance, and nationalities. I will gladly honor your request to address you by an alternate name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this preference early in the quarter so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. Please also note that students may choose to identify within the University community with a preferred first name that differs from their legal name and may also update their gender. The preferred first name will appear in University related systems and documents except where the use of the legal name is necessitated or required by University business or legal need. For more information and instructions on how to do so, please see the Student Preferred Name and Gender Policy at http://policies.depaul.edu/policy/policy.aspx?pid=332
Desire 2 Learn (D2L) https://d2l.depaul.edu All course content, assignments and grades will be posted here. It is your responsibility to keep up with all class materials through this website. You will also be required to submit your work through D2L.
While D2L is not very difficult to use, there is a slight learning curve. Once you have finished reading this syllabus, you can look at a series of explanations and tutorials can be found here.
While there may be a slight learning curve the first few times you navigate the site, it should not take long before you develop some comfort with it. Also, be sure to watch the introduction to the course video.
After the first few days of the quarter, all communications will occur through D2L ‘News’ postings. These postings are extremely important – particularly so for online courses. So make absolutely certain that you have “subscribed” to News postings. By subscribing, all News postings will automatically be sent to your email. There are instructions provided on the checklist item on D2L.
Please note that there will not be any extra credit opportunities. It's not that I do not want to, but rather that I cannot give "extra" opportunities, as this would be tremendously unfair to all of the other students in the class. However, I do give options for things that may go wrong by dropping your lowest assignment, and dropping your two lowest quizzes.
At DePaul, our mission calls us to explore “what must be done” in order to respect the inherent dignityand identity of each human person. We value diversity because it is part of our history, our traditionsand our future. We see diversity as an asset and a strength that adds to the richness of classroom learning. In my course, I strive to include diverse authors, perspectives and teaching pedagogies. I also encourage open dialogue and spaces for students to express their unique identities and perspectives. I am open to having difficult conversations and I will strive to create an inclusive classroom that values all perspectives. If at any time, the classroom experience does not live up to this expectation, please feel free to contact me via email or during office hours.
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be communicated to you via News postings and/or email.
This course will use two web sites. The first is DePaul University’s course management system called ‘D2L’. The second is my personal web page at: http://condor.depaul.edu/ymendels/130/
Please be sure to bookmark both of these on your browser.
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 three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in Campus Connect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy.
The DePaul Student Handbook defines plagiarism as follows: “Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following: (a) The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or in part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else’s. (b) Copying of any source in whole or in part with only minor changes in wording or syntax even with acknowledgement. (c) Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency. (d) The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement.” Plagiarism will result in a failure of the assignment or possibly of the course.
Sadly, due to the widespread use of ChatGPT and other AI agents, as well as “tutorial” sites (e.g. CourseHero, Chegg, etc) we have observed a notable increase in students who sometimes make use of these resources. As a result, it has become necessary to make it course policy to ONLY allow code that has been taught in this course to be used in assignments and on exams.
If the grader observes code that is not covered in our course, it will be flagged and brought to the professor’s attention. There is a very good chance that it will be considered a violation of academic integrity, and a report will be filed and placed in the student’s record. The penalties can be severe.
There are only two exceptions to this rule:
If the assignment specifically asks the student to research and apply new code
If the student asks the professor (in advance of the submission) for permisson to use code that has not been covered in the course.
If a student submits an assignment that the grader or instructor feels is identical to another student's assignment, both submissions will be forwarded to the Academic Integrity committee. If the committee agrees that the assignments are indeed essentially the same, they may require the presence of both students at a hearing. A finding of violation of academic integrity will result in a record of this event being placed in the student's academic record.
Working Together: Please note that each student is responsible for their own work. It’s okay to ask a colleague to help you work out a bug or something similar, but it is not acceptable for them to simply solve a problem for you. Similarly, it is not acceptable for two students to submit essentially an identical assignment with only cosmetic changes between the two. Each student must complete a unique assignment.
If two students submit essentially the same assignment, the assignments will be forwarded to the academic integrity committee as described above.
More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/. If you have any questions, consult with instructor.
NOTE: Please note that you may be contacted at any time throughout the course and asked to explain code that you have submitted on your assignments. This is especially true if the grader spots unfamiliar code (i.e. code that involves techniques not discussed in the course). You will be required to demonstrate that you can explain and can reproduce the code that you submitted. Again, this can happen at any time throughout the course.
In a word: DO NOT DO THIS! It is surprisingly easy for me to catch. Every quarter, I find a few of these, though, fortunately, the frequency has come down quite a bit. However, consequences will be potentially severe. At the very least, a formal Academic Integrity violation wlil be filed and placed in your record.
Penalties to the course itself can range from a 0 on the assignment to a failure in the entire course.
Again, I find this every single quarter. Please do not be one of these people!
But to reiterate what was said earlier, you MAY use code that was not explicitly discussed in the course if you have checked with the professor about it BEFORE turning in your assignment. All that will happen is that I will ask you to explain what the code does, and that will be the end of it. (In fact, I will be HAPPY if you do this kind of thing!!)
All students are expected to abide by the University’s Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
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. Incompletes are only granted when the large majority of the course work has already been completed.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at: cdm.depaul.edu/enrollment.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential. To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at: csd@depaul.edu.
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd. Phone number: (312)362-8002 Fax: (312)362-6544 TTY: (773)325.7296
Most of the following will apply primarily to in-class sections.
Attendance: For in-class sections, students are expected to attend each class and to remain for the duration. However, attendance will not be factored into your final grade.
Class Discussion: Whether in-class or online, student participation in class discussions will be measured in two ways. First, students are highly encouraged to ask questions and offer comments relevant to the day’s topic. Participation allows the instructor to “hear” the student’s voice when grading papers. Secondly, students will be called upon by the instructor to offer comments related to the reading assignments. Students must keep up with any assigned readings to participate in class discussion.
Attitude: A professional and academic attitude is expected throughout this course. Measurable examples of non-academic or unprofessional attitude include but are not limited to: talking to others when the instructor is speaking, mocking another’s opinion, cell phones ringing, emailing, texting or using the internet whether on a phone or computer. If any issues arise a student may be asked to leave the classroom. The professor will work with the Dean of Students Office to navigate such student issues.
Civil Discourse: DePaul University is a community that thrives on open discourse that challenges students, both intellectually and personally, to be Socially Responsible Leaders. It is the expectation that all dialogue in this course is civil and respectful of the dignity of each student. Any instances of disrespect or hostility can jeopardize a student’s ability to be successful in the course. The professor will partner with the Dean of Students Office to assist in managing such issues.
Cell Phones/On Call: If you bring a cell phone to class, it must be off or set to a silent mode. Should you need to answer a call during class, students must leave the room in an undisruptive manner. Out of respect to fellow students and the professor, texting is never allowable in class. If you are required to be on call as part of your job, please advise me at the start of the course.
Student Responsibilities: Each student is responsible for their time management and for meeting the expectations in the syllabus. The instructor is not responsible for reminding students of assignment deadlines in class. In the event of an absence, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor regarding the absence and the topics covered in class. If an assignment is listed on the syllabus, you are still responsible for completing the assignment on time.
Students will be able to:
Describe how Web sites are organized.
Develop Web pages with a specific purpose.
Write simple programs.
Diagnose problems in computer code by tracing program states, predicting output and explaining any discrepancies between predicted output and actual behavior.
Identify difficulties and limitations of using computer technology for solving problems.
Modules typically correspond to 1 week.
Topics: Syllabus and overview of course | HTML part 1 | HTML Part 2 | HTTP Process
Topics: HTML Part 3 | HTML Part 4 | Introduction to CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Topics: HTML Forms Part 1 | HTML Forms Part 2
Topics: Introduction to JavaScript | JavaScript: Creating user-defined functions
Topics: JavaScript: Creating and working variables, Understanding data types | JavaScript: Retrieving information from a web form | Introduction to File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Midterm Exam: Information will be posted via a News posting as the exam time nears. Note: As indicated above, some quarters will not have a midterm exam.
Topics: JS: Concatenation and Comments | JS: Parsing data | CSS: Internal and External Stylesheets
Topics: JS: If/else statements | JS: Precedence | JS: Built-In Functions
Topics: Logical AND/OR | Checking for equality | innerHTML() function | CSS: Classes and Contextual Selectors
Topics: if and else if | Radio buttons and checkboxes | tag
Topics: Positioning and Layout