EDTC+603

__**EDTC 603: Website Development for Educational Use**__

 * (1/11/11 - 3/1/11)**

**Course Description and Overview:**
This course lays the foundation for quality website design and development, website communication, the philosophy behind choices, and uses of web tools. Understanding uses for coding, visuals, layout and design, as well as usability are key outcomes. Capstone ePortfolio creation begins in this course. Students will learn to create websites for educational communication as a final project in Learning Topic 4. They will also create a website that will serve as their Master’s degree Capstone ePortfolio. Students will study different elements of web and image design and demonstrate their learning in a classroom website. The value of code and different tool formats – desktop and webware – will be explored. Students will learn to choose the correct copyright license scheme for images used. Graphic creation tools and optimization schemes as well as file transfer protocol (FTP) and search engine optimization (SEO) will be studied. Students will also explore accessibility issues and reasons to adapt for visitors with disabilities. Goals for future learning in the web creation area will be established.


 * Enduring Understandings:**
 * Plan for clear communications in website presence
 * Use clean design philosophy and communication elements to create effective website design
 * Understand uses of typography, CSS, color theory, image creation and use, accessibility, and technical elements in website design
 * Display learning in an ePortfolio website and a classroom website

= An Introduction to Web Development and Digital Learning =

** Learner Outcomes ** ** At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to: **
 * Compare and contrast the cultural changes brought about by the advent of the Gutenberg press and that of current-day web publishing via the Internet.
 * Evaluate the need for educators to be able to communicate with/use this digital medium within the classroom, for professional development, and for public relations.
 * Compare and contrast the process of creating/reading digital content to that of traditional print content.
 * Explore preconceptions and/or the evolutionary nature of the web publishing process based on current knowledge or previous experiences (including hand-coding, WYSIWYG editors, webware, and online services).


 * Assignments and Activities for Class Session1: **

**To be completed in class:**

 * 1.1 Discussion - Publishing, Societal Change, and Power //(4 points)//
 * 1.2 Discussion - Similarities/Differences Between Printing via the Web or Traditional Printing Press //(4 points)//
 * 1.3 Discussion – Experiences and Preconceptions of Creating Websites //(4 points)//
 * To be completed for homework:**
 * 1) **1.4 Poster - The Need of an Effective Web Presence** -Post your posters in the Topic_1_Student_Page. // (Due the Friday following Class Session2.) (20 points)// Discussion on this topic will occur during Class Session3. [[file:Top Ten BAH.ppt]]
 * 2) Be familiar with the **Required Readings for Topic_2** by the start of Class Session2.

Learner Outcomes:
= At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to: = **To be completed in class:**
 * Examine and assess educational websites made with WordPress to determine the platform’s potential for web publishing.
 * Identify key traits, characteristics, or components of a CMS and compare them to other web publishing tools.
 * Create a WordPress website with a clear navigation bar, multiple pages, subpages, working hyperlinks, and a sidebar.
 * Identify the similarities and differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
 * Discover and share applicable widgets for use in the Capstone ePortfolio sidebar.
 * Create analogies or various WordPress concepts/terms to indicate understanding of new concepts
 * 2.2 Discussion – Typical Traits or Characteristics of a CMS //(4 points)//
 * 2.4 Email Response: Looking at WordPress for Educational Uses //(25 points)//
 * 2.5 Discussion - Sidebar & Widgets //(4 points)//
 * 2.6 Sidebar and Widget Analogies //(20 points)//

To be completed for homework:

 * 1) **2.1 Virtual Field Experience – Realizing the Power of WordPress** Complete this in your field experience log. // (Suggested completion by the start of Class Session3.) ////(5 points) [[file:2-1 BAH reflection on CMS sites.doc]]//
 * 2) **2.3 Create a Capstone ePortfolio using WordPress** Once the skeletal structure of the ePortfolio is established, submit your ePortfolio’s URL to the Topic_2_Student_Page.// (Due the Friday following Class Session3) ////(25 points) Betty's eportfolio site//
 * 3) Be familiar with the **Required Readings for Topic 3** by the start of Class Session3.
 * 4) **3.1 Field Experience – Identifying a Quality Website** Post your responses to the Topic_3_Student_Page for this activity. // (Suggested completion by the start of Class Session4.) ////(5 points)[[file:3-1 Quality Website BAH.doc]]//

Learning Topic 3: Early and Essential Footwork - Website Planning
** Learner Outcomes: **
 * At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:**
 * Identify qualities of website design that promote exploration and usability as well as qualities that discredit or distract from a website’s value.
 * Assess how color, image choice, content style, and other elements promote a website’s major purpose or goal as well as target an intended audience.
 * Effectively organize and prioritize website content/site architecture using strategies such as sitemaps and wireframes.
 * Identify and construct website navigation that is efficient, intuitive, and consistent for end users

To be completed in class:

 * 1.4 Discussion Paper vs. Web
 * 3.2 Analyzing Web Design for Goal and Audience //(5 points)//
 * 3.3 Creating a Sitemap //(20 points)//
 * 3.4 Discussion - Designing for Ease of Use //(4 points)//
 * 3.5 Creating a Wireframe //(20 points)//

To be completed for homework:

 * **3.3 & 3.5** Complete your individual sitemaps and wireframes. Save them as jpgs and post to Topic_3_Student_Page. // (Due Friday following Class Session4.) [[file:Site Map for Class.rtf]] [[file:WireFrame 3.5.docx]] //
 * **3.6 Sitemap and Wireframe Comparison** feedback. Submit to the discussion section of Topic_3_Student_Page. // (Due by the start of Class Session5.) //
 * Be familiar with the **Required Readings for Topic 4** by the start of Class Session4.

At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:
** Assignments and Activities for Class Session4: **
 * Compare the different website creation options available, and identify when each might be used.
 * Understand basic HTML and XHTML coding that supports the website back-end.
 * Use basic HTML and XHTML coding to create a simple web page.
 * Explore the theory of typography for screen reading and overall site design.
 * Understand topography related to the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to achieve strong communication within the website constraints.
 * Apply the knowledge of typography and CSS to evaluate websites.
 * Develop a personal philosophy for color uses based on site purpose and audience, and gain resources for making these decisions.
 * Demonstrate understanding of course content by creating a final project website for your classroom (right tool, navigation, layout and design, typography, and color).

To be completed in class:

 * 4.1 HTML Elements - Basic Website Tool Exploration //(25 points)//
 * 4.2 Discussion – Website Application Comparison //(4 points)//
 * 4.3 Website Elements – The Best and The Worst //(25 points) [[file:4.3 Website Elements comparison BAH (CSS, color, type).doc]]//
 * 4.4 Discussion – Design Philosophies //(4 points)//

To be completed for homework:

 * **4.5 Begin Final Project – Classroom Website** Your website URL is to be submitted to Topic_8_Student_Page. // (Due the last class – Class Session8.) Betty's Class website //
 * Be familiar with the **Required Readings for Topic 5** by the start of Class Session5.

At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:

 * Identify the concepts of visual literacy as they relate to education and communication.
 * Identify open source desktop and web-based graphic applications and identify the most appropriate situations in which to use each.
 * Create an organizer of key graphic tools found in several graphic applications, the tool’s purpose and application.
 * Demonstrate understanding of image software tools by creating a series of images and graphics for use on an ePortfolio website and explaining the steps in the creation process and reason for the chosen optimization scheme.

** Assignments and Activities for Class Session5. **

**To be completed in class:**

 * **5.1 Comparison of Graphic Tools Types //(25 points)//**
 * **5.2 Discussion – Visual Literacy //(8 points) [[file:Visual Literacy 5-2.doc]][[file:BIBLIOGRAPHY visual literacy 5-2.doc]]//**
 * **5.4 Discussion – Graphic Tools, Resources & Uses //(4 points)//**

**To be completed for homework:**

 * **5.3 Create Your Own Graphics - // (Due the Friday following Class Session6.) //Post your four images and dialogue to the Topic_5_Student_Page for this activity. Read and respond to two or more of your colleagues’ postings in the Discussion Section of Topic_5_Student_Page. //(40 points) [[file:Graphic Images Description 5-3 BAH.doc]]//**
 * **Be familiar with the Required Readings for Topic 6 by the start of Class Session6.**
 * **6.1 Research Project – Copyright vs. Copy-share // (Due by the start of Class Session6.) // Post your paper on the Topic_6_Student_Page. //(?? points) [[file:Copyright vs copy share.ppt]]//**

At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:

 * Identify concepts of copyright and how work is copyright protected from its inception. Compare the different alternative license structures of Creative Commons. Identify instances where fair use is permissible in education settings.
 * Compare rules for using material that is copyrighted, licensed under Creative Commons, and fair-use exceptions; also, discuss emerging philosophies and trends in copy-share of creative works.
 * Explore and rank several image repositories in their quality and variety of content for website uses, and discuss the value of pre-made images for web communication.
 * Identify and re-purpose images using open source and Creative Commons images, and discuss the time and outcome differences between starting with pre-created images and creating images from scratch

**To be completed in class:**

 * **6.2 Discussion - Copyright vs. Copy-share //(12 points) [[file:REFLECTION ON COPYRIGHT VS.doc]]//**
 * **6.3 Image Repositories //(15 points) [[file:Image Repositories Reflection 6.3.docx]]//**
 * **6.4 Discussion – Repository Recommendations //(12 points)//**

**To be completed for homework:**

 * **Work on your 4.5 Begin Final Project – Classroom Website Your website URL is to be submitted to Topic_8_Student_Page. // (Due the last class – Class Session8.) //**
 * **Be familiar with the Required Readings for Topic 7 by the start of Class Session7.**

At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:

 * Distinguish and assess the value of domain name choices as they pertain to human and search engine use.
 * Examine three web hosting options available to educators, and examine the appropriateness of each host for educational websites.
 * Create a free or low-cost web hosting account and use self-selected FTP software to transfer/upload a web page/site.
 * Examine your own content for search engine friendliness, and work to apply known SEO techniques to achieve greater “findability.”
 * Examine your own work for accessibility issues and make changes that promote web content access for all.

**To be completed in class:**

 * **7.1 Discussion – Hosting & Publishing on the Web //(15 points)//**
 * **7.2 Using free/low-cost web hosting and free FTP programs //(15 points)//**
 * **7.3 Discussion - Search Engine Optimization//(4 points)//**
 * **7.4 Application of SEO Techniques //(15 points)//**

**To be completed for homework:**

 * **7.4 Application of SEO Techniques - Post your SEO techniques to the Topic_7_Student_Page. // (Due the last class – Class Session 8) //**
 * **7.5 Web Accessibility and Web Design - Implement at least two techniques/methods to your Final Project – Classroom Website // (Due the last class – Class Session 8) (10 points) //**
 * **Finish 4.5 Final Project – Classroom Website. Your website URL is to be submitted to Topic_8_Student_Page. // (Due the last class – Class Session 8) (95 points) //**

Learning Topic 8: Website Evaluation
= Background/Rationale = As you complete your final project, a classroom website, it is time to evaluate it against your initial planning and what you have learned in this course. Assess how well you met your goals and intended communication. Additionally, reflect on your growth in WordPress with respect to using graphics, color, typography, accessibility, and web development software. Examine where your skills were when you began the course. Present what you have learned, and set goals that will ensure your future growth in website development. Email the URL of your final website to the facilitator.

Learner Outcomes:
At the end of this Learning Topic, you will be able to:
 * Identify future goals in the field of website development.
 * Explore resources to keep current on trends in website development.
 * Evaluate peer websites and determine areas for improvement. Develop personal plans for changes and future work based on learning from peers’ websites.
 * Assess personal learning throughout the course and its application to personal practice

**To be completed in class:**

 * **8.1 Evaluation of Learning and Setting Goals //(10 points) [[file:8-1 evaluation of learning.doc]]//**
 * **8.2 Final Project – Classroom Website //(95 points) Betty's Class website//**
 * **8.3 Peer Evaluation of Classroom Website //(15 points)//**
 * **8.4 Discussion – Ah-ha Moments – What have you learned? //(4 points)//**