Syllabus

CSCI-UA.0004

Introduction to Web Design and Computer Principles
Spring 2012, Monday & Wednesday 11:00am – 12:15pm
CIWW 109

Professor Craig Kapp, M.S., M.P.S.
Office Hours: TR 11:00am – 12:30pm, WWH 420
E-mail: craig [-dot-] kapp [-at-] nyu [-dot-] edu
Personal Blog: http://blog.craigkapp.com

Course Blog: http://digitalmedia2012.globalblogs.org

Course tutors:

All tutoring hours will be held at Fourth Street Lab at 35 West Fourth Street.

• Mondays – 10:15-12:15, 4:00-6:30 – Mia
• Tuesdays – 11-3pm – Josh
• Tuesdays – 3:30-6:00 – Mia
• Wednesdays – 10:15-1:15 – Mia
• Wednesdays – 5:30-7:30 – Josh
• Thursdays – 11-3pm – Josh

Prerequisite

Three years of high school mathematics or equivalent. No prior computing experience is assumed. Students with computing experience should consult with the computer science department before registering. Offered every semester. 4 points.

Course Description

This course introduces students to both the practice of web design and the basic principles of computer science. The practice component of the course covers not only web design but also current graphics and software tools. The principles section includes an overview of hardware and software, the history of computers, and a discussion of the impact of computers and the Internet.

There are several goals to this course. The title ”Introduction to Web Design and Computer Principles” is intended to emphasize the two important elements of the course: Learning how to effectively utilize digital media tools for communication on the Internet as well as developing an understanding of the core concepts that underpin modern computing systems. We will expose you to the exciting, current developments in the world of computers and the Internet. In this course, we will talk about (and demonstrate) the use of publishing tools, web development and some multimedia tools. In addition, we will discuss hardware and the history of computing. The development of computer technology is one of the great achievements of the Twentieth Century. All educated citizens should know about computers and computer systems. In addition, becoming familiar with advanced aspects of software applications, web development and other related tools should assist you in your many occupations and endeavors for years to come.

Course Materials

Please note: As this is a course about technology, we will also provide on-line resources on all of the subjects that we cover.

Required Textbooks

1. HTML, XHTML & CSS (Visual QuickStart Guide Series)
   Sixth Edition
   by Elizabeth Castro
   ISBN-10: 0321430840
   ISBN-13: 978-0321430847
2. InDesign CS5 for Macintosh and Windows
   Visual QuickStart Guide
   by Sandee Cohen
   ISBN-10: 0321705203
   ISBN-13: 978-0321705204
3. Photoshop CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
   By Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas.
   ISBN-10: 0321701534
   ISBN-13: 978-0321701534
4. Dreamweaver CS5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
   by Tom Negrino, Dori Smith
   ISBN-10: 032170357X
   ISBN-13: 978-0321703576
5. Flash CS5 Professional for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
   by Katherine Ulrich
   ISBN-10: 0321704460
   ISBN-13: 978-0321704467

Optional Textbooks:

1. Styling Web Pages with CSS: Visual QuickProject Guide
   By Tom Negrino, Dori Smith
   ISBN-10: 0-321-55557-0
   ISBN-13: 978-0-321-55557-1

Topics

You will be encouraged to use the computer as much as possible, because this will be useful for you in your college career and beyond. The practical goals of the course are to teach you:

• basic operating system skills using Mac OS, Windows and Unix
• Desktop publishing
• Internet tools
• Web authoring (building websites)
• Multimedia (working with images, animation, and sound)

Grading

Your greatest reward is the knowledge and experience that you receive by taking the course. You will also receive a grade. The assignments (see below) will count for 50% of the grade. The midterm will count for 20%, and the final exam counts for the remaining 30%.  Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of every class.

Assignments

In all, there will be seven or eight assignments. It is important not to get behind in turning in assignments. If you do get behind, we still want you to do the assignment, so it is better to turn in a late assignment than to skip it and you may wish to speak with me about this. In general, late assignments will be penalized by 10% off per day late. A full listing of assignments appears in the “Schedule of Dates” tab at the top of our course blog.

All grading will be done via NYU’s official course management system (BlackBoard). You can check your grades at any time by logging into your NYU Home page (http://home.nyu.edu) and clicking through to the BlackBoard section established for our class. If you notice an irregularity (i.e. you mistakenly lost points for an item that you successfully completed) please let me know and I will be happy to sit down with you to review your work. All grade changes must be completed in person and cannot be done over e-mail.

Assignments that you turn in should be your own work. It is fine to talk to other students and to get assistance in how to do something, but you should not ask your fellow students to actually do the work for you. When you turn in an assignment, you are saying that you have done this work yourself. The definition of plagiarism is to present someone else’s work as though it were your own. Please read the Computer Science Department statement on academic integrity.

Software

Macintosh computers with all of the software packages pre-installed will be made available to you in the ITS labs. Theoretically, you do not need your own computer nor do you need to purchase any software. However, you will be learning how to use various software packages, and if you have a home computer, you may want to have access to the software at home. In this case, you must purchase your own copy or use the “30-day trial versions” which are sometimes available from the publisher.

You can obtain browsers and other software provided by ITS to all students, including Norton Anti-virus, by going to FILES within your NYU “Home” Account.

We will be exploring the World Wide Web and creating graphics for it. The graphics packages we will use are Adobe Photoshop as well as Flash and for web authoring we will be working in DreamWeaver. We will use these to create our final web projects. We will be using Adobe’s InDesign as our desktop publishing software. All of this software is available to you in the ITS Labs.

Saving your work in the lab

You will be able to save your work ITS labs under your NYU Home Account and/or on your own flash drives. Although you can write to the hard disks of the machines in the labs, you cannot be sure that you will have access to the same machine the next time you enter the lab and the drives in the lab are frequently erased. The best option is to upload your files online and download them as needed (we will go over this in class).

Home Computers

Many students will have access to home computers or computers at work. It is fine to do your assignments on whatever resources you have available, as long as your software is current. You are not required to do your assignments in the NYU labs. You may find it advantageous to visit the labs however since there will be a tutor available 20 hours per week, and other students can sometimes assist you with general features of the programs.

Some students decide to purchase a computer while taking this course. Since you have computers available to you at the labs, it might be advisable to wait until later in the course, when you have more experience and information about your options. You do not need to bring a computer to class. However, you do need to be prepared to spend lots of time in the computer labs or on your home or business computer in order to complete the assignments for this course.

Using the NYU Computing Facilities

The main computer labs to use for this class are in the the Third Avenue North Dorm and in the Education building. Further information on the labs is available from ITS.

• Third Avenue North Lab is located at 75 Third Avenue, Level C3 (downstairs) near 12th Street.
• Multimedia lab is located in the Education Building, at 35 W. 4th Street, on the second floor.
• There are other labs, although those are the main two with Macintosh computers. You use your ID card to gain access to the computer labs.

Course Computer Account

In addition to your NYU Home Account, we will be using a special computer account on a Unix web server which will be assigned to you automatically based upon your enrollment. This is called an “i5” account, and we will use it for our web sites.

Feedback

I recognize that every student has a different level of background knowledge prior experience when it comes to technology. This course is designed as an introductory level class and topics will be presented assuming very little prior exposure to the topics. With that said, every student learns differently and I want to ensure that each of you is getting the maximum amount out of the course content as possible. At the top of our blog you will notice a ‘Feedback’ button – this button will allow you to register comments, complaints and suggestions on future topics. I will do my best to address any and all items submitted to this form. In addition, you can always get in touch with me via e-mail at the address listed at the top of the syllabus.