The top 1,000,000 sites on the web, with each favicon sized to represent their overall popularity (2010).http://nmap.org/favicon/
Introduction to Web Communication COMM 232
Fall 2011
W/F 1:00-2:50
Chamberlain 124/127
Instructor
Ryan Thompson
ryan [dot] thompson [at] houghton [dot] edu
Phone: x2660
Chamberlain 102 / Stevens Art 201
Office hours: T/TH 1-3pm Stevens Art 201, W/F 9-11 ChC102
(best to email ahead of time)
course website: http://webcomm232.com/
Course Description
This course is an introduction to the technical and theoretical aspects of designing and building interactive, web-based experiences. Technical instruction on how to develop websites will be supported by lectures, reading discussions, and both group and individual projects.
Objectives
- acquire basic proficiency in HTML/CSS
- acquire basic skills for designing and implementing websites
- understand basic histories of the internet and web design
Course Format
Class time will be split between lectures, reading discussions, technical demonstrations, and studio lab time.
Required Course Materials
External hard drive: Each student is required to use her or his own external hard drive (or high capacity thumb drive) when using the lab computers. Bring it to the lab and save all of your work on it. The lab computer hard drives will be routinely erased. A suggested minimum size for your drive is 16GB. It’s a good idea to reformat your drive at the beginning of the semester to “Mac OS Extended” format.
A note about backing up your work: Hard drives do fail. Regularly! I recommend one of the following: a second hard drive, finding a classmate with whom you can swap files, or burning DVDs or CD-Rs of finished projects.
Sketchbook/notepad: We will start every project with pen and paper! A sketchbook or notepad will be used for brainstorms, navigation plans, layout design, file structure diagrams, etc.
Expectations
I expect full attendance and active participation. Missing any class will put you behind in technical instruction, lab time and group projects. After two missed classes your grade will drop by a letter with every successive missed class. Three late arrivals or early departures = 1 missed class. I also expect you to use class time on classwork, not on your phone, checking email, etc.
Overall Grade Evaluation
50% - Exercises/Reading Responses/Participation
50% - Projects
Exercises
There will be a number of quick exercises over the course of the semester. You will not need to turn them in, but I will be checking to see that they have been completed.
Reading Responses
Half page reading responses will be posted to the blog before class the day they are due. Graded on a credit/no-credit basis. http://webcomm232.blogspot.com/
Projects
Measure of energy, effort, and willingness to explore new concepts. Emphasis on creative problem solving and experimentation.
Creative and Critical Inquiry– 50%
A measure of the thought, intention and meaning that went into the project. Does the work show innovation? Does it solve the given assignment problem in an expected or unexpected way? Does it demonstrate a willingness to explore new ideas?
Craftsmanship and Technique – 50%
Attention to detail. Does the work show skillful manipulation? Are all details carefully finished and/or intentional-looking?
Final Project
The last three weeks of the semester are dedicated to a final project that incorporates the technical and conceptual instruction from this course. You will be given time and space and support to work on these projects and the last week of classes are reserved for project presentations and group critique.