IT 130 Introductory Computing for the Web
Summary
Revision 5 - 9/8/2004
Introduction to basic concepts of the Internet and the World-Wide Web. Topics covered include the history of computing and the Internet, role and operation of web browsers and serves, HTML, cascading style sheets (CSS), and Javascript programming.
Texts
Required text:
Reed, David. A Balanced Introduction to Computer Science, Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004, ISBN 0-13-046709-X.
Note: This book is available from www.amazon.com for $73.33 new or about $62 used. As of 7/30/2004 it is also available in electronic form from www.safarix.com for $37.67 for a 150-day subscription; in other words, you can "rent" access to it via the web for half the price of a new book. Electronic "renting" of textbooks is a very recent innovation and can save you money. You may want to consider this option if you want to be kinder to your wallet, your book bag, and to the trees that still remain on the planet Earth.
Optional text, strongly recommended:
Disbrow, Steven W. Javascript Weekend Crash Course, 2001, ISBN 0-76-454804-2.
Note: This book is available used for as little as $3.20 through www.amazon.com. Students are encouraged to visit the Amazon site and obtain a used copy! This text contains 30 one-half hour learning sessions and a CD/ROM with complete searchable copy of the text. It is an extremely valuable learning aid for Javascript programming!
Grading
Homework (9 assignments, all are used in computing the course grade) 20%
Quizzes (9, highest 8 scores used in computing the course grade) 40%
Final exam 40%
There is no midterm exam; weekly quizzes are used instead to give you timely feedback on your understanding of the subject matter. Quizzes are focused on material covered the prior week but may include anything already covered in the course. Grades are assigned for each item in a range of 0 to 100. The numeric grade for the course as a whole is computed from these individual grades and is also expressed as a number in the range 0 to 100. There is no curving of grades. The letter grade for the course is assigned from the computed numeric grade, rounded up to one decimal point, using this scale:
93.5 and above = A
90-93.4 = A-
87.5-89.9 = B+
83.5-87.4 = B
80-83.4 = B-
77.5-79.9 = C+
73.5-77.4 = C
70-73.4 = C-
67.5-69.9 = D+
60-67.4 = D
less than 60 = F
The course grade is computed two ways: using the weighting described above and also with no weight for quizzes and 80% of the grade based on the final exam. Students receive the higher grade as computed in these two ways. It is generally not wise, however, to depend on doing superbly on a final exam that counts for 80% as a means of getting the good grade you want! Take the quizzes seriously. They are designed to help you learn the material and the final exam is heavily based on them!
Homework - its purpose and importance
Homework assignments are designed to help you understand the material covered in the assigned text readings and lectures. Late homework is accepted but a penalty of a 10% credit loss per week late is deducted.
Homework must be submitted in class on paper, not as e-mail. (Why? Because I grade these myself, usually on a commuter train, and I just don't have time to print homework out on paper for each student so I can grade it on the train!) Homework is due on the date noted in the Week by Week schedule below. The homework assignments are located at the course web site, www.depaul.edu/~jjanossy at the IT-130 button. For some programming assignments, students will be asked to demonstrate their programming solutions in class as a means of sharing the learning experience. The quizzes and final exam refer heavily to the material learned by doing the homework assignments. In order to do well it's important for you to keep up with the homework because the quarters are short and the class must cover the material indicated! Try to read the textbook pages assigned for the week BEFORE the week we discuss them and also try to preview the lecture slides before the lecture.
Quizzes and Final Exam (there is no midterm exam in this course)
There is no midterm exam in this course. A series of 9 quizzes is given in the course. A quiz is conducted at the start of the second class session of each week for day classes, or immediately after the break for evening classes. Each quiz is based on material covered up through the prior week. The highest 8 quiz grades are used in computing your overall quiz grade so you can miss one quiz without incurring any grading penalty. It is not possible to make up quizzes since we often discuss the answers to questions immediately after them.
The final exam is based on the material covered in lectures, the lecture slides, quizzes, and homework. The final exam for this course will be given on Thursday November 18, from 6:00 PM to 8:15 PM in the same classroom as the course is conducted.
Sept 9: Ch. 1, 2, 6; browse Appendix A, B. Basics and the history of computers, HTML and web pages. Discussion of Windows, Unix, Telnet, FTP, SSH.
Sept 16:
Ch. 2, 12; browse Appendix C. Data representation, HTML coding, use of color, images, sound. Quiz 1.
Sept 23:
Ch. 3. The Internet and the Web, cascading style sheets (CSS). Quiz 2.
Sept 30:
Review reading assigned thus far. User centered web page design. Quiz 3.
Oct 7:
Ch. 4, 5; browse Appendix D. Introduction to Javascript; constants, variables, expressions. Quiz 4.
Oct 14:
review Ch. 4, 5. More Javascript; loops, decisionmaking. Quiz 5.
Oct 21:
Ch. 7, 8. Abstraction, functions, algorithms. Quiz 6.
Oct 28:
Ch. 9, 11. Event-driven programming, condition execution. Quiz 7.
Nov 4:
Ch. 13, 15. Looping and string manipulation. Quiz 8.
Nov 11:
Ch.17. Arrays. Quiz 9. Session of Nov. 15 is final exam review.
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 CampusConnect.
Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at CampusConnect is correct.
This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.
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.
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:
Student Center, LPC, Suite #370
Phone number: (773)325.1677
Fax: (773)325.3720
TTY: (773)325.7296