Syllabus
Course Information
Section titled “Course Information”Don’t try to be original; just try to be good.
Paul Rand (American artist and graphic designer)
Instructor Information
Section titled “Instructor Information”Contact
Section titled “Contact”Office Hours
Section titled “Office Hours”Meeting Times and Purposes
Section titled “Meeting Times and Purposes”Learning Materials
Section titled “Learning Materials”This course relies on several different types of texts ranging from books to websites. Readings will be given on the course schedule, and all reading materials will be provided by the instructor.
Course Description
Section titled “Course Description”This course introduces the foundational principles and practices of web design. Students develop the skills to create responsive, accessible, and aesthetically engaging websites that adhere to web standards and design principles. Students explore web technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Markdown, React, and 11ty (Eleventy) static site generators, while learning about web accessibility, design patterns, and wireframing with Figma.
IPSP
Distribution Requirement Outcomes
Section titled “Distribution Requirement Outcomes”International & Intercultural Perspectives (IP)
Section titled “International & Intercultural Perspectives (IP)”An understanding of International & Intercultural Perspectives means awareness that culture provides the interpretive lens for action in the world, and that one’s particular culture is itself one of many cultures of the world. It includes the ability to recognize and understand the results of cultural difference wherever they are found, as well as an awareness of the norms of one’s own culture or those of other cultures.
Scientific Process & Knowledge (SP)
Section titled “Scientific Process & Knowledge (SP)”Courses involving Scientific Process & Knowledge aim to convey an understanding of what is known or can be known about the natural world; apply scientific reasoning towards the analysis and synthesis of scientific information; and create scientifically literate citizens who can engage productively in problem solving.
Course learning outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 4 satisfy IP learning outcome. All course learning outcomes satisfy the SP requirement.
Learning Objectives
Section titled “Learning Objectives”- Apply HTML, CSS, Markdown, and basic Javascript to develop well-structured, responsive World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards-compliant web sites.
- Evaluate and implement web accessibility measures consistent with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2 specification.
- Design front-end user experiences using accepted web design patterns, methods, and information structures.
- Identify and use strategies of successful visual rhetoric for the web.
- Compare and select web technologies such as static site generators or frameworks as appropriate candidates for building web sites.
Grading and Evaluation
Section titled “Grading and Evaluation”This course uses a contract to determine final letter grades. Please consult this page to learn more about the purpose and requirements of this course’s grading contract.
Policies
Section titled “Policies”Communication
Section titled “Communication”This course relies on your regular use of the following platforms:
Figma is an industry-standard wireframing and layout prototyping tool. As a student, you have access to an education license which this course will use during the various planning stages of major assignments. Any assignments using the Figma platform will be evaluated there.
Github
Section titled “Github”All assignments will be given through the Github version control platform. This means that all work completed towards an assignment must be stored in repositories representing individual or group assignments. The instructor will not evaluate materials which are not in the appropriate repositories on the platform except those which use Figma.
Discord
Section titled “Discord”Students are responsible for monitoring Discord for class updates. The instructor encourages you to check Discord daily for updates or assignment/activity errata. Often, additional materials may be provided in our class Discord channel.
The instructor highly recommends downloading the deskop and/or mobile apps for Discord, as this makes staying up-to-date with information on this platform much easier.
Technical Leaders
Section titled “Technical Leaders”This course features the assistance of several peer educators that the department refers to as Technical Leaders (TLs). You should recognize these citizens as quasi-authorities in this course. While they don’t make any kinds of grading decisions, they are all much smarter than the course instructor. They’re also much cleverer.
These people are not course resources in the sense that they are inanimate machines. You agree to:
- Treat them courteously and with respect
- Not make strict demands of them; their engagement with the course is a privilege, not a right
- Recognize that their feedback won’t give you the “answer”; they’re excellent resources to help you reason
- Interaction and communication with TLs is functionally equivalent to interaction with the instructor
In the event that a conflict arises with a TL, please message the course instructor. Know that any issues that TLs encounter are also reported to me, and if we need to discuss your engagement with a TL, the instructor agrees to arbitrate the issue with fairness to all involved.
Allegheny College Statement of Community
Section titled “Allegheny College Statement of Community”Allegheny College also expects students and faculty to act according to its Statement of Community:
Allegheny students and employees are committed to creating an inclusive, respectful and safe residential learning community that will actively confront and challenge racism, sexism, heterosexism, religious bigotry, and other forms of harassment and discrimination. We encourage individual growth by promoting a free exchange of ideas in a setting that values diversity, trust and equality. So that the right of all to participate in a shared learning experience is upheld, Allegheny affirms its commitment to the principles of freedom of speech and inquiry, while at the same time fostering responsibility and accountability in the exercise of these freedoms. This statement does not replace existing personnel policies and codes of conduct.
Honor Code
Section titled “Honor Code”All students and faculty at Allegheny College are bound by the Honor Code. Everyone expects that your behavior reflects this commitment. Given the eminently shareable and reproducible nature of code, the Department of Computer Science adds the following statement to the general college policy:
It is recognized that an important part of the learning process in any course, and particularly in computer science, derives from thoughtful discussions with teachers, student assistants, and fellow students. Such dialogue is encouraged. However, it is necessary to distinguish carefully between the student who discusses the principles underlying a problem with others, and the student who produces assignments that are identical to, or merely variations on, someone else’s work. It will therefore be understood that all assignments submitted to faculty of the Department of Computer Science are to be the original work of the student submitting the assignment. Appropriate action will be taken when assignments give evidence that they were derived from the work of others.
The above statement, of course, also applies to solutions derived from discussions on Stack Overflow and other similar resources.
Department Policies
Section titled “Department Policies”This course follows CIS Department policies regarding attendance, late assignments, and AI use. The instructor encourages you to read these policies to familiarize yourself with some of of the community standards to which our department adheres.
Seeking assistance
Section titled “Seeking assistance”Assistance with course concepts
Section titled “Assistance with course concepts”Students who struggle to understand knowledge and skills defined in this course are encouraged to seek assistance from instructional staff. To meet with me, consult my available office hours (above) and make an appointment.
Historically, students who are successful in my courses visit and discuss course concepts with instructors or TLs early and often. See above for my office hours or go to this schedule for Technical Leaders’ office hours.
Assistance outside of the course
Section titled “Assistance outside of the course”If you find yourself in difficult circumstances which affect your ability to participate in or complete course work, let your instructor know immediately. Full stop.
Do not wait until the end of the semester. Students who don’t communicate issues often find themselves in preventable no-win situations.
It is part of your instructor’s job to make sure that students receive the assistance they need. Do not hesitate to communicate anything your instructor can do with respect to your ability to handle your work. This is especially true of our current circumstances. Again, be reminded—it is part of your instructor’s job to help you access Allegheny College resources that will enable your safety and success.
In many situations, the following list of resources may help:
- The Maytum Learning Commons
- Allegheny College Counseling Center
- The Winslow Health Center
- Student Life
Special needs and disability
Section titled “Special needs and disability”Students with disabilities who need accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact Disability Services at +1 814 334 2898. Disability Services is part of the Learning Commons, located in Pelletier Library. Should you need accommodations, contact this office as soon as possible to ensure that approved accommodations are communicated and implemented as quickly as possible. This serves both you and me in providing the best environment for learning and support.
Classroom ethics
Section titled “Classroom ethics”The discipline of computer science, like many others, encourages its members to act according to discipline-specific ethics. Your instructor encourages you to take time to review the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Code of Ethics. In situations where questions of ethics arise, this course defers to this document in determining the opportunities and boundaries of ethical behavor.
The Rules Rule
Section titled “The Rules Rule”The instructor reserves the privilege of making changes to any parts of the Syllabus or the Contract should issues arise that compromise the integrity or function of the course. Should a change occur, students will be notified at least 24 hours in advance of the change. Changes, unless stated, are not retroactive and will only affect the course from the point of change forward.