IT 411 Scripting for Interactive Systems
Summary
Students learn fundamental programming concepts with JavaScript to create interactive prototypes and web pages.
IT 411 is intended for students with no prior programming experience. Students with intermediate or advanced programming experience (i.e. successful completion of more than one programming course) may not need to take this course. They are encouraged to talk with the instructor or their adviser to see if IT 411 can be waived (based on transcripts) or if taking the Graduate Assessment Exam (GAE) would be a good option.
Course Goals
By the end of the quarter, students will be able to:
- develop interactive prototypes and web pages using JavaScript
- use an API to learn and apply new methods
- dynamically generate layouts for an indeterminate number of display elements
- access data from a server
Texts
A recommend text is JavaScript from Beginner to Professional, 2021 edition. Available online.
Grading
| Assignment |
Weight |
| Eight assignments (10 points each) |
35% (70 points, best 7 of 8) |
| Two online quizzes (10 points each) |
10% (20 points) |
| Weekly Participation |
15% (30 points) |
| Midterm Assessment |
10% (20 points) |
| Final Exam |
30% (60 points) |
Students receiving more than 90% of possible points are guaranteed at least an A-, more than 80% at least a B-, more than 70% at least a C-, and more than 60% at least a D.
The weekly assignments will be based on examples from class.
The final exam is a proctored, written exams. Students in the on-campus section much complete the exam in class on the assigned day. Students in the online section must either complete them in class on the assigned day or arrange for a proctored exam following DePaul CDM policy.
The midterm assessment is a non-proctored opportunity to practice responding to questions like those that will appear on the final exam. Students may take it in class or at their own convenience. The grade for the midterm assessment will not depend on the correctnes of the practice answers but on the reflection of how the assessment went.
All assignments and reports must consist of individual work that is based on concepts and programming constructs presented in class.
Participation is based on weekly contributions to the discussion board. Supplemental contribution points can be earned by participating in the CDM subject pool (one credit counts one point for a maximum of 3 points).
Prerequisites
This course has no prerequisites. HCI 406 or comparable experience (knowledge of HTML and CSS) is encouraged as a prerequisite or corequisite but is not required.
Course Policies
Students are expected to attend every class or watch the asynchronous recordings on a weekly basis. To encourage engagement, I will keep in-person attendance and note outside of class interactions.
The use of AI (e.g. CoPilot and ChatGPT) is permitted in some contexts and sometimes encouraged. Acceptable uses include the following:
- Use of ChatGPT to explain code while you are learning.
- Use of AI-generated code in your projects provided that all of the following are true:
- You have carefully reviewed (possibly altered) the code so that you understand how it works.
- The code is consistent with the concepts and style discussed in class.
- You discuss the AI-generated code in your summary report for the project.
No AI tools will be permitted during the final exam (proctored), nor the midterm practice exam.
The goal of assignments is to practice the concepts taught in class. You are expected to do your own assignments. However, some collaboration with other students is allowed and even encouraged. The following types of collaboration are allowed:
- Discussing strategies for solving a problem
- Explaining why a Web page does not work
- Reviewing and testing someone else's Web pages
- Using HTML and JavaScript code provided by the instructor and texts
The following types of collaboration are not allowed:
- Copying someone else's JavaScript code
- Copying code from an online source
- Literally telling someone what code to write
Engaging in these last two types of collaboration will be considered a violation of the university's policy on academic integrity. Violators will receive a 0 for the corresponding assignment and will be reported as required by the policy.
Late assignments will be accepted up to three days late with a one point penalty. Assignments submitted more than 3 days after the due date will not be accepted without an excused, emergency-based absence.
Additional assignments for extra credit will not be offered.
All grade challenges must be submitted in writing and include an explanation why the given score or grade should be reconsidered.
Tentative Schedule
Tentative Schedule
| Week |
Topic |
Reading |
Assignment |
| Sep 10 |
Course Overview; JavaScript Basics, DOM basics |
Intro, Ch. 1, 2, 9, 10 |
|
| Sep 17 |
Objects, Functions, Debugging |
Ch. 2, 4 and 10 |
Assignment 1 |
| Sep 24 |
Conditional statements |
Ch. 4 |
Assignment 2 |
| Oct 1 |
Using a class (Dice), Loops, Arrays |
Ch. 3, 5, ch. 11 |
Assignment 3; Quiz 1 |
| Oct 8 |
Arrays, Objects, Classes, Callback functions |
Ch. 6 |
Assignment 4 |
| Oct 15 |
A/V components |
Class notes |
Assignment 5 |
| Oct 22 |
effects, form controls |
Class notes and TBD |
Midterm Report |
| Oct 29 |
Events and forms |
Class notes and TBD |
Assignment 6 |
| Nov 5 |
Advanced interactions, jQuery |
Ch. 15 and class notes |
Assignment 7; Quiz 2 |
| Nov 12 |
Advanced topics, React |
Ch. 15 and Class notes |
Assignment 8 |
| Nov 19 |
|
|
Final Exam |
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
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.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
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.
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 http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
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:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296