Course Syllabus

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Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change. Instructors will notify students of any changes and students will be responsible for abiding by them. Even if you print this syllabus, please check the online version often.. 

Description

IST 256: Programming for the Web (3 credits per semester) - An introduction to fundamental Web programming concepts: Advanced Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), extensible Markup Language (XML), PHP, MySQL, Advanced CSS3, Data Warehouses, SQL, and Javascript.

The first part of the course introduces web programming facts and concepts. Students will be required to demonstrate understanding of the course by building web pages via individual and group activities that incorporate and illustrate the facts, concepts, and procedures in the course content. The latter half of the course will involve in-depth programming projects in JavaScript, CGI, and Java, and will incorporate concepts from the first part of the course. IST 256 is required and represents the introductory web programming course for the Web Administration Option of the Associate degree in Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Upon completion of the course, the IST student will be able to identify basic concepts for programming for the web, including decentralized computing and shared information, client/server/database, e-commerce, design issues, and scalability issues as demonstrated by miscellaneous tests. The student will also have experience with basic UNIX/NT programming skills, including system programming basics for webmasters, Unix, and NT systems, as demonstrated by completed projects. They will be able to utilize advanced HTML, concepts, including style sheets, dynamic content, and scripting events, as demonstrated by completed projects. The student will also understand basic concepts for databases/data warehousing/data mining, including information and the organization, database and database management system environments, the relational database model, and object-oriented database model, as demonstrated by miscellaneous tests. They will be able to identify basic concepts about XML, multimedia resources, GUI Programming Environments, LAMP stack, and Dreamweaver (or the current equivalent environments. They will be able to utilize current programming technologies to produce functional programming code that enhances web page capabilities.

Students will be graded on course attendance, participation, quizzes, examinations, brief exercises and their project presentation (from design to implementation, including documentation). The majority of campuses offering the Associate degree in Information Sciences and Technology will have 20-30 students enrolled in the course. The course will be offered one semester each academic year.

Prerequisites

  • IST 250, completed with a grade of "C" or better

Objectives

  • Design and create web sites using advanced HTML and CSS.
  • Understand and program in PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript
  • Create flexible, interactive, data-driven user interfaces for the web
  • Understand and work with a web software development environment and workflow

Instructor

All course-related email, including messages to your instructor(s) and fellow students should be sent within Canvas, using the Inbox. Every attempt will be made for the instructor (or a substitute) to respond to email questions within 24 hours.

Additional instructor information can be found by selecting People and then the Teacher name.

Materials

  • Nixon, Robin. (2018). Learning PHP, MySQL & JavaScript: With jQuery, CSS & HTML5 (5th ed.). ISBN 978-1491978917
    • An online version of this text is available at no cost as a Penn State Library E-Book and can be accessed through Library Resources in the course navigation. Some E-Books will only be available online, while others will be available to download in full or in part. You may choose to use the E-Book as an alternative to purchasing a physical copy of the text. For questions or issues, you can contact the University Libraries Reserve Help.

Assignments & Grading

Course Grading Breakdown
Grading Category Percentage of Final Grade
Introductory Assignments 5%
Labs 95%
TOTAL 100%

Course Grading Scale

The following are minimum cutoffs for each grade:

  • 93.00% = A
  • 90.00% = A-
  • 87.00% = B+
  • 83.00% = B
  • 80.00% = B-
  • 77.00% = C+
  • 70.00% = C
  • 60.00% = D
  • less than 60.00% = F

Course Policies and Expectations

  • Logging into Canvas - Students are expected to login regularly to check for course updates, announcements, emails, discussions, etc.
  • Emailing through Canvas - Students are expected to use Canvas for all course email communication.
  • Attending virtual meetings - Students are expected to use specified virtual meeting tool(s) for collaboration, meetings, presentations, etc., as needed.

Academic Integrity

Penn State and the College of Information Sciences and Technology are committed to maintaining Penn State's policy on Academic Integrity in this and all other courses. We take academic integrity matters seriously and expect you to become a partner to the University/College standards of academic excellence.

For more information, please review these policies and procedures:

While utilizing additional sources outside of this class is encouraged for gaining a better understanding of course concepts, seeking explicit answers for graded assignments from outside sources (e.g. Course Hero, Chegg, tutoring services like tutor.com, etc.) is considered CHEATING and will not be tolerated. Sanctions range from failure of the assignment or course to dismissal from the University. Additionally, sharing course content without permission is a violation of copyright and may result in university sanctions and/or legal ramifications. Contact your instructor with questions related to this topic. 

University Policies

Review current information regarding various Penn State policies (such as copyright, counseling, psychological services, disability and military accommodations, discrimination, harassment, emergencies, trade names, etc.) on the University Policies page.

Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage (http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/).

Resources

Find extensive information and links to many Penn State and IST resources (including the Penn State libraries, video conferencing tools, technology and software, writing and research help, and much more) on the Resources page.

Technical Requirements

Standard World Campus computer technical specifications are assumed for this course. Please test your computer for requirements. In addition, a webcam and a headset with a microphone are REQUIRED for the course. These may be used for virtual meetings, virtual office hours, interactions with classmates and your instructor, and group presentations - which are all conducted with virtual meeting tools. No special software is required.

Schedule

The following schedule outlines the topics covered in this course, along with the associated time frames, readings, activities, and assignments. All due dates reflect Eastern Time (ET). Specifying the time zone ensures that all students have the same deadlines, regardless of where they live.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due