Gavilan College
CSIS 6/ DM 6/ LIB 6

Webpage Authoring

During the 16 weeks of this course, you will be learning codes to put together web pages. You'll learn design theory as it applies to the computer screen (as opposed to paper formats). You'll learn theories about color, about how people read websites, what makes them try all your links, and what makes them come back for more.

Most lessons will have a short coding assignment. And for this spring session, almost every week will have 3 lessons, plus discussion assignments and short quizzes. It is easy to fall behind in these online courses, and very difficult to catch up once you've fallen behind. By dropping anyone falling behind in the beginning of the class, I'm hoping to save you hours of grief and frustration.

We will be working inside the Gavilan iLearn class management system, which has a list of the 16 weeks. Under each week, there will be links to lectures, assignments, quizzes and forum discussions.

Under the list of links on the left side of the screen, there is a link to view your grades. Many times, especially if you didn't get the full 10 points for each assignment, I will leave comments in that grade area on what you missed and how you can make up the points. So please be sure to check those comments. You'll need to scroll down, past your submission, to see my comments.

The link to People will give you a list of everyone in the class. You can click on someone's name to send them a private message.

Remember, the discussion forums are public, and your message will go to everyone. Anything sent through the People feature, will only go to the person you've selected.

If you're having problems, there's nothing like getting help in person. This class is entirely online, but there are several people on campus who can help you:

• in the library. The reference librarians can all help you log into your classroom and move around the different functions (forums, lessons, quizzes, assignments). Several of them have actually taken this class and so might be able to help you with specifics of a lesson.
  
  
• in the tutoring center. There are students working there who have taken this class and are tutors specifically for this class.
  
  
• from the Distance Ed people, located on the mezzanine (upstairs) in the library.
  
  
• from me, your instructor. I will be on a zoom meeting every Tuesday at 5:30 pm, and Saturday at 10:30 pm. The address:
  https://cccconfer.zoom.us/s/5939641982?status=success#success
  These zoom sessions are NOT required; they are only there if you are having problems or would like to talk to me for any reason.

Your final project will be a website with a minimum of 5 separate pages. In these pages, you'll have to show me that you can:

1. Use basic html tags.
2. Change font colors and size.
3. Include a coded list (ordered, unordered or definition) somewhere within your site.
4. Make links to outside pages, to pages within your own website, and to specific places within one page.
5. Use graphics as illustration and as part of your website design.
6. Use a graphic as a link to another page.
7. Use color as part of your website design.
8. Use tables as an organization tool, and as part of your website design.
9. Include a form in one of your web pages.
10. Use javaScript to add some inter-activity to at least one of your pages.
11. Include one style sheet used by all of your pages (CSS).
12. Include an address block at the bottom of your home page.
13. Include metatags on your home page for keywords and descriptions.
14. Upload your website, including all graphic files, html documents, and css documents.

One final note: The secret to passing this course is to keep up with each week's assignments. Too often, students fall behind and then find it impossible to ever catch up. And so I am now trying a new technique -- I will drop anyone after the first week who hasn't finished all assignments, discussions, and quizzes for that first week.

Warning!

If you have any questions or problems, get ahold of me right away. As an online student, the responsibility for keeping up and getting help when you need it sits squarely on your shoulders.

I can't see you, so I won't know when you're having problems.
It's up to you to let me know.

Successful online students email their instructor
when they are having problems.

You can always reach me through email at jhowell@gavilan.edu