LIS 753: Internet Fundamentals & Design

Summer Session 1 2010

Online Course

Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor

Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Dominican University

Contact Information and Web Sites

Contact Information: mstephens@dom.edu / AIM: mstephens7mac

Office hours: By appointment via email, video chat, Facebook, IM, etc.

Course Web Site: http://lis753summer.tametheweb.com/

Course Overview

LIS 753 is an introduction to the fundamentals of the Internet, including its origins,
evolution, current state, and future. Critical Internet issues such as privacy, copyright, and
other related topics will be examined. Students will have a basic understanding of Web
content languages and the Internet as a result of this course. Pre-requisites are 701 and
703.

Topics will include networking, Internet protocols and architecture, the World Wide Web,
Web site design and evaluation, HTML coding, search engines, blogs, wikis, RSS and
social software/web sites.

Course Goals

To gain a basic understanding of networking principles and techniques, Internet protocols

and architecture, and major telecommunication issues.

To gain a basic understanding of the World Wide Web, coding standards, Web site design
and page layout, and current issues.

To develop the understanding and skills to produce a group of linked HTML documents
that can be published on the Internet.

To understand the use and benefits of the World Wide Web in libraries today, and to gain
an appreciation for the Web's many complex social and legal issues.
To gain an understanding of the complexities that are involved when libraries today
mount digital resources on the Web, and how this fits into a national and international
information infrastructure.

Textbooks and Resources

Required: Freeman, Elisabeth, and Eric Freeman. Head First HTML with CSS and
XHTML. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2006.

Optional: Meyer, Eric. CSS Pocket Reference. (3rd edition) . Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly
Media, 2007.

Students will also be required to contract with a web hosting service for the duration of
the course. Additional course readings are available online.

Course Design

This course is conducted fully online using our course Web site at TBA. HTML exercises
are posted to student’s Web server space by midnight on the due date, and exercise URLs
are emailed to the instructor.
 
Content includes HTML training and exercises, readings relevant to Internet issues and
theory, and class discussion via site postings. Detailed assignments and instructions are
posted on the course site.
 
The course is divided into ten sessions of Modules and Exercises on the class Web site. 
Students should move through the sessions sequentially, finishing the Exercise and
Modules for each before proceeding to the next. 
 
Requirements

Students will be expected to use the course Web site multiple times a week to stay up to
date with readings, assignments, and discussion. This is also a way for LIS753 students to
experience the emerging social nature of the web - similar systems are being used in
library settings all over the world. Librarians are working, writing and sharing in open,
online systems created for interaction with each other and with library users. The LIS753
site utilizes the WordpressMU software package to create an interactive environment for
sharing and discourse. You must create an account on the site but no one in class is
required to share their full name, photo or any other details. The use of avatars and aliases
is acceptable.

It will be especially important in an online environment that you are a self-directed

learner. It is essential that you keep steady attention to the course, to the exercises, to the
readings, and to the postings from your classmates.
Student Assignments and Grading

Weekly HTML Coding Exercises: 10 @ 5 points each = 50 points

Final Web Site Project: 30 points

Reflection Posts on Modules: 4 @ 5 points each = 20 points

There are 100 total possible points for this course, as broken down above. All
assignments will be due at the times specified on the course schedule. Late assignments
will receive a 10% reduction in grade for each day late. All written work should be clear
and error free. Writing style counts for this class.

Grading:
A 94 -100 %
A- 90 – 93 %
B+ 86 – 89 %
B 82 – 85 %
B- 78 – 81 %
C+ 74 – 77 %
C 70 – 73 %
C- 65 – 69%
F 0 -- 64 %

Academic Honesty and Integrity

"All students of the GSLIS are expected to observe high standards of academic honesty
and integrity. Any student whose conduct violates such standards may be subject to
disciplinary action as determined by due process." (GSLIS Bulletin, p. 48) Plagiarism is
unacceptable and will result in project failure.

Purdue University's "Avoiding Plagiarism" at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/

research/r_plagiar.html, Georgetown University's "What is Plagiarism," at https://
www11.georgetown.edu/programs/gervase/hc/plagiarism.html, or Indiana University's
"Plagiarism: What It Is and How To Recognize and Avoid It" at http://www.indiana.edu/
~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml
 

Assignments

Exercises:
The course includes ten HTML/XHTML and CSS exercises due by emailing a Web URL
to Michael on dates specified. Students are required to contract with a Web hosting
company for server space.

Reflection Posts:

Over the course of the term, you will publish 4 posts on selected module topics. Posts
should be a minimum of 300 words. Well-executed posts will include links, your own
thoughtful commentary about the readings, and whatever else you come across while
exploring the topic. For posts that you want counted toward the required four, please add
"Post #__:" to the beginning of the title.

Due dates are included in the class schedule.

Grade Percentages for Postings

Refer to the GSLIS Grading Policy for an explanation of the school's uniform letter grade
rationales.  You should be aware that points for your Discussion contributions
are awarded based on strong evidence of reading, reflection, and careful composition. 
Refer to the percentage table in the syllabus to figure point values as associated with
letter grades; for example, for a five point value, figure 90% - 93% of 5 to find the point
values for an A-  (93 percent of 5 equals 4.65 points; 90 percent is 4.5 points ).

Readings

Some modules will not be assigned for discussion posts. These are to build your
knowledge of Web site creation issues and concepts. These elements will allow you to
create a usable, well-designed final project.

Final Web Site

The Final Website Project should be a demonstration of your cumulative XHTML/CSS

coding and design skills learned throughout the semester.  The project should include an
opening page (file name must be index.html), a minimum of three additional pages linked
from that page, and one CSS stylesheet for all pages. Minimum level requirements are
listed below.

You may select any topic that interests you for your Final Website Project. It does not
have to be library specific.

Required elements:

• Four XHTML documents, linked to one another and to one CSS file, for a
total of five files.
 • Coherent navigation throughout your website.
• At least three external links
• A standard footer on each page, to include at a minimum the date created (or
copyright date), date updated, and contact information. Your footer may also
include your navigation if you choose, and any other standard information
appropriate for your content and design.
• All standard XHTML elements and conventions, such as doctype, and meta
tag with content type and character encoding information. You may use an
XHTML transitional or strict doctype; include appropriate information in the
opening tags as required by your doctype.
• Hidden comments in your XHTML and your CSS code to explain the various
sections of your code (include at least three code explanations in each of your
five files).
• At least one image on each page; the image can be a .gif, a .png, or a .jpg;
include <alt> tags and attribution. (Your attribution may be in your hidden
comments if you choose.)
• Font style designation and color designations, including link colors.
• At least one use each of class, ID, div, span, and line height.
• At least one example each of padding, border, and margins for text or image.
• At least one of your pages should have more than one column; float one
column left or right. Use “Jello” option if you’d like.
• One table with at least four rows, four columns, and either one rowspan or one
colspan.

Please note that your project will be graded on the required elements as well as the
overall quality of coding, content, design, and presentation. Your final project will
be graded with more rigor than your weekly exercises, as this project is a
demonstration of your cumulative coding and design skills.
Course Schedule

Please consult the course website for up-to-the-minute course information. Bold Module
readings indicate those for reflection postings.

Week of Module Readings Assignments Due

May 10 History of the Internet & Web Exercise #1 Due May 15

Web Usability & Design Post #1 Due May 15

May 17 W3C & Access Standards Exercise #2 Due May 19

Intellectual Property & Remix Exercise #3 Due May 22

May 24 LIS Web Jobs Exercise #4 Due May 26

Global Issues & Broadband Exercise #5 Due May 29
(choose 1 for post) Post #2 Due May 29

May 31 Search Engine Optimization Exercise #6 Due June 2

Exercise #7 Due June 5

June 7 Web 2.0 & Library 2.0 Exercise #8 Due June 9

Internet Futures Exercise #9 Due June 12
(choose 1 for post) Post #3 Due June 12

June 14 Tech Trends, Mobile & Cloud Exercise #10 Due June 16
Computing Post #4 Due June 18

June 21 Web Site Project

June 28 Web Project Due June 28