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The purpose of this course is to explore the process of designing websites from the initial audience analysis to the maintenance and revision of a finished site. You will not finish this class and be a professional web designer, but you will acquire the necessary communication skills to start the journey. You will learn how to plan and acquire appropriate content. You will know the difference between a logical top node and an MCA link on the third level and how that effects your target audience. You will be able to sit at a computer and surf the net, come to a web page and think, this page is horrible and I know why.
What will I learn in this course?
Since this is a communications class, we will focus less on the technical aspect of web design (I reserve that for my spring course) and more into what it means to become a net citizen. My intention is to expose you to as much of the web as possible. You will learn to evaluate content on the web critically and recognize common design principles across different web genres. You will also develop a sense of the impact the World Wide Web has or will have on our collective culture. So if you already spend 2-3 hours a day surfing the net, this class will be a breeze. If you have never surfed the net nor know how to open a web browser, this class will introduce you to the new landscape of cyberspace.
How is this course arranged?
In order to both fulfill the requirements of the course and keep it interesting, I’ve divided the work into two content areas.
The first will be consistent with the textbook. You will read the chapters in the given week and submit a reflection paper based on the material. The text focuses on the practical side of web design, mainly the development process and basic design principles. Instructions on how to write a reflection paper is available with the dropbox under the Reflection Papers icon on the course homepage.
The second learning area will consist of learning modules that focus on surveying the World Wide Web and analyzing the Internet as a tool of mass communication. Topics will range from the history and evolution of the Internet to the impact of the World Wide Web on our global culture. Every Monday of each week, you’ll find a new learning module. More often than not, the learning module will finish with a short assignment.
You will also be required to post entries to a blog or web log. Actually, we will use part of the discussion board to simulate a blog. You will post to your particular section once a week. More information concerning our blogs will be under the blog section of the discussion board as well as under the Assignment Description page of this syllabus.
The learning areas will often diverge from each other, meaning the reflection paper you write over the reading may in no way relate to the learning modules. However, I will pull content from both areas to make up the midterm and final so it is in your best interest to not skim either area. To successfully complete this course, you will need to submit the appropriate number of reflection papers and blog posts, complete the learning module assignments, and take the midterm and final. Don’t sweat the tests, considering that you will have a detailed study guide and both are open book/open note, with a little preparation they should be a breeze.
Name: Patrick McCormick
Department: Instructional Support Services
Office: 215 UW
Office Hours: M-F 2pm-4pm
Telephone: (361) 570-4256
Work Email: mccormickp@uhv.edu
Home Email: pdunagan23@yahoo.comOffice hours are posted if you need a face-to-face meeting. Otherwise, I am fairly quick on responding to email. During the week, I check my email at work often (M-F 8am-5pm). If you need to contact me during the weekend, my home email is your best bet. However, I do not check this email daily.
COM 4330: Theories of Web Design
Cr. 3. (3-0).
An examination of effective web design techniques, focusing on communication implications of web design. Introduction to using web design software.Special Note: This is the 'official' course description. I have expanded the focus of the communication implications of web design to include a survey of the World Wide Web. My thoughts on it are that to appreciate web design, you have to evaluate the World Wide Web as a tool of mass communication. Without this component, a metaphor would be like swimming in a small pond to understand the basics of deep sea diving.
After completing this course, you will be able to:
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Class Attendance: This is a fully online class. There are no mandatory face-to-face meetings. However, class attendance will be measured by how well you post on the discussion board and how often you access the course. You must post to the discussion board at least three times a week. I expect well written posts. No spam (spam is when you reply to someone's post with "I agree" or "You are wrong" without justifying your position one way or the other). In the art of surfing, no one likes spammers! Posting to the discussion boards does not include your entries to your weblog. That is evaluated separately. Post that do count toward your three post minimum are questions and answers in the content section, comments in the introduction section, and discussions in the off-topic section (yes, discussing the latest blockbuster movie is considered a post).
Open Door Policy: Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about the course. Check the contact information in this syllabus to find out when I am readily available.
Late Work: Turn in all assigned work on time and in a professional manner (e.g., word-processed, free of spelling and grammatical errors). I will consider extensions only 24 hours in advance of the due date. My consideration does not guarantee an extension. You can submit your work up to one week after the due date with a substantial penalty (minus 25 points). Any work not submitted after one week past the due date will not be accepted, period.
Academic Integrity: Do your own work. Any breach of academic integrity (i.e. cheating, plagiarism, bribery, or misrepresentation) will result in failure of this course.
Special Needs: If you have any special needs related to learning or testing please let me know at the beginning of the term so that I can make the necessary accommodations.
Text: Farkas, D., Farkas, J. (2002). Principles of Web Design. New York: Longman.
The text is part of the Allyn & Bacon series in technical communication. It is written in a standard textbook format. However, it is technical to a point of being beneficial to both novice web design enthusiast as well as professional web designers. The bookstore on campus should have this in stock. If they don’t have it, and/or you are a bargain hunter like me, you may want to order it from one of the sites below:
http://www.cheapesttextbooks.com This is a good site that compares prices from other bargain sites!
http://www.amazon.com The used section of this site usually has a decent price list.
http://half.ebay.com Sometimes you can get extremely lucky… most of the time you will find prices comparable to retail.
This is a tentative schedule of the class semester. As you can see, it is divided into weeks. If I need to make any changes to this schedule, I will email all of you with the updated schedule as well as post an announcement of the changes. Each week consists of exactly what you need to do to satisfy the course requirements. So it would benefit you greatly to print out this schedule! The information in the “[…]” brackets indicates what component or tool in WebCT you will find access to the content.
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Grading Scheme for Assignments:
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A Special Note: This may seem like a lot of work. Don't worry, it is not. The most difficult part of this course, in my opinion, is the reading. Some of it can be unnecessarily tedious. If you do not understand part of the text, post questions on the discussion board or Email me. Remember, the parts of the text I will use for the midterm and final will be in the review questions (as well as where to find them in the text). As for the reflection papers and learning module assignments, they normally take around an hour to complete.
Learning Module Assignments (15% of your final grade): You will find these assignments built into each learning module. The assignment will vary depending on the content and the amount of work due in other areas.
Reflection Paper (15% of your final grade): This isn't an academic paper. What I am going for here is your thoughts about the content of the book. Do not write a summary of the chapter. Do not paraphrase the first sentence of each paragraph. The reflection paper should be around one page, double-spaced, and free of grammatical or spelling errors.
My idea of a reflection paper is to pick one or maybe two concepts out of the chapter that you found interesting and tie them to something in your life. Use a lot of 'I think' statements. Feel free to comment on the text whether it be good or bad. The point of this paper is to reflect on the reading and form your own opinion, not demonstrate to me that you understood the text.
Participation Grade (10% of your final grade): You are required to post to the discussion boards at least three times a week. Postings under your own blog and the Learning Module discussion threads do not count toward the required 3 a week. The areas of the discussion board that do count are as follows:
Introductions: You can respond to someone's introduction post.
Website of the Week: I will post a URL of a web site to this discussion board category each week for you to critique (good or bad).
Text Chapter Question: I will post a question about the chapter reading each week. Feel free to answer it, or comment on some of your fellow classmates' answers.
Other People's Weblogs: While your weekly blog post does not count toward the required 3 posts a week, replying to someone else's post does. Feel free to read through your classmates submissions and comment on what they have written.
The Coffee Shop: This is an off topic category that will be lightly moderated by myself. Post anything to your hearts delight (assuming your posts are appropriate).
Weblog (10% of your final grade): Think of a weblog as an electronic journal and/or web site. The difference from a normal paperback journal is other people can respond to your entries. Think of a blog as your own little soapbox in cyberspace. You can post anything you want. It is your voice on the World Wide Web.
For this assignment, you will post to your blog under the discussion boards once a week. My purpose is to encourage you to post your opinions in an electronic format and respond to others by giving feedback. The content of your posts is entirely up to you. Needless to say, any inappropriate content posted to your blogs will be left to my discretion. If I feel it is inappropriate, I will delete the entry and send you an email.
Though I am convinced this will add to your knowledge of the social aspect of the web, there are many differences between using the discussion board for your blog and an actual site that sponsors blogging. Online blogging sites are much more customizable. You can upload a photo ablum and allow viewers to comment on each photograph. You can maintain a set of favorite links on your blog homepage. You can create a detailed profile of your likes and dislikes. But then again, who knows, after posting to your course blog once a week for a semester, you will want to start your own blog on the World Wide Web.
I received my bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Houston in 1998. After a few years living it up in Austin working in a variety of odd jobs that in no way related to my degree, I decided to further my career by moving to Corpus Christi to study education at Texas A&M University. Two years and a marriage later, I received the first of my two master degrees in Secondary Education. I was awarded my second masters in Educational Technology in the spring of 2003.
After graduation, I took the instructional designer position here at UHV primarily because of the online distance education program. I have an affinity towards technology and am fascinated with using the Internet and the web to facilitate learning. I plan to return to work on my doctorate after gaining several years of practical experience working in the field of distance education. I would estimate that between work and home, I spend close to 60+ hours a week staring at a computer screen. Needless to say, I consider myself a ‘net citizen’ and look forward to introducing you to the world of cyberspace.
As for hobbies, I have a small cactus collection that I’ve developed for 4-5 years and 2 cats that are currently driving me mad. I am an avid gamer, amateur web designer, and an experienced web surfer.