LIBR 240-04
LIBR 240-12
Information Technology Tools and Applications
Fall 2008 Instructions
Heather Ebey
E-mail
Office Location: Carlsbad, CA
Office Hours: Virtually by e-mail; online using Elluminate; via telephone by appointment.
| Course Links Greensheet Instructions Calendar |
Resources Blackboard Blackboard Tutorials SLIS eBookstore |
Things to do or make note of prior to the start of class.
Required Software
You must have Microsoft Office, two Internet browsers, image editing software, an HTML text editor, and the free version of RealPlayer. See SLIS Home Computing Requirements for links to some software download sites.Image Editor
You will be using an image editing program to crop, resize, change resolution, add text, fix red-eye in images, and to create GIF graphics files. If you already have access to an image editing program that can do the above, then you do not need to purchase one. If you must purchase one, Photoshop Elements is recommended. There is an educational discount for some graphics software. Examples of image editing programs are Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro, Fireworks, or an open source (free) package such as The GIMP
. The fourth lesson requires the use of an image editor and images
are optional in weeks 1 through 3.Details of Software Required
A dedicated HTML editor is highly recommended. Though you can use Notepad or Wordpad on Windows, or TextEdit on the Mac, you will find a dedicated HTML text editor with both a text and WYSIWYG mode and built-in sftp will save you considerable time and frustration. Dreamweaver is also great, but you will use it mostly in code view mode.Windows Users
- Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0 or newer (most recent is version 6.0) is required unless you have other image editing software installed. We have limited help for older versions of Photoshop Elements.
- Internet Explorer version 7.0.5730.11 or later
- Firefox (browser) version 2.0.0.16 or later (Hold off on downloading Firefox 3.X until it is recommended on our Home Computing Environment page.)
- MS Office (You will turn in links to your assignments and any notes in a Word doc file. I edit this and return it to you with a grade.)
- HTML editor: Consider TextPad, Taco, HTML-Kit, or NoteTab Light. Dreamweaver is very good, but the course requires hand-coding HTML, so you must use it mostly in code view mode. I strongly recommend trying the 30-day trial versions first and making your final decision after discussing editors with classmates in our Blackboard "software" forum.
- Browser plugins: Adobe Flash player, RealPlayer, QuickTime for Windows, Windows Media Player
- Web Developer Toolbar (WDT), an extension for Firefox by Chris Pederick [instructions available in week 1]
Mac Users
- Adobe Photoshop Element 4.0 or newer is required unless you have other image editing software installed. We have limited help for older versions of Photoshop Elements.
- Safari 3.1.2 or later
- Firefox (browser) version 2.0.0.16 or later
- MS Office (You will turn in links to your assignments and any notes in a Word doc. I edit this and return it to you with a grade.)
- HTML editor: Consider TextMate, TextWrangler or BBEdit. Dreamweaver is very good, but the course requires hand-coding HTML, so you must use it mostly in code view mode. I strongly recommend trying the 30-day trial versions first and making your final decision after discussing editors with classmates in our Blackboard "software" forum.
- Browser plugins: Adobe Flash player, RealPlayer, QuickTime for Mac
- Web Developer Toolbar (WDT), an extension for Firefox by Chris Pederick [instructions available in week 1]
Course Materials
Depending on the type of material, lectures and supporting documents will be posted each week in the Blackboard Assignment Manager with additional reading posted on a LIBR 240 web site. Weekly assignments will be posted in the Blackboard Assignment Manager.Student Coursework
Every student has to complete each assignment.
Assignments and the final project total 100 points.Assignments
There will be 14 weekly assignments. Each assignment will be worth 3 to 8 points (total 75 points). Unless otherwise noted in the posted assignment, assignments are due by 8:00 a.m. PT each Tuesday. The calendar will give you a general idea of what will be required in each assignment. Many assignments require hand-coding Web pages to meet specific technical requirements. You will also be installing and using a personal blog and a personal wiki, and will have some assignments that require modifying or configuring prewritten PHP and JavaScript scripts. Assignments also include posting occasional responses to assignment questions in your personal blog. (See calendar for more details.)Final Project
The final project will be worth a total of 25 points.The final 8- to 14-page Web site (25 points) is due no later than Saturday, December 13, 8:00 a.m. PT. There is no late extension on the final project. The final project is your opportunity to put together a professional Web site with a home page plus 7 to 13 subpages. You will use XHTML, CSS (XHTML and CSS must pass validation), a little JavaScript and PHP, SSI modular design, and will incorporate images, Web 2.0, graphics, a form, a data table, and other specific elements. Your professional Web site will require research, a comparison of similar Web sites on the same topic, a mission statement, and a brief analysis of the audience for your Web site.
- Handouts
Some handouts will be in Microsoft Word and others will be in PDF format. Before class starts, make sure you have MS Office and the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. - Computer Literacy
You must be comfortable with using your computer. If you do not know how to download files and install them on your computer, this is not the class for you. If you do not know how to set up a directory or folder on your computer, this is not the class for you. I will not be teaching basic computer literacy. General Requirements
You must be self-motivated and able to work independently. You need very good time-management and organizational skills. Most of the assignments require preciseness and detail.Please consider the following before committing to this class. You must be able to answer ‘yes’ to the following questions.
- You are comfortable working and communicating with technology and can deal with glitches. Correspondence and assignments are 100% online.
- You know how to download files and install them on your computer.
- You know how to create a folder or directory on your computer.
- You have strong time-management and organizational skills. Procrastinators will run into problems, as assignments are not as easy as they might seem.
- You are self-motivated.
- You enjoy or are comfortable working independently.
- You enjoy challenging material where everything is not spelled out for you. Though coding is precise, there is usually more than one way to successfully accomplish the desired outcome.
Each student will
- assume responsibility for his/her learning;
- manage his/her time effectively (plan a schedule and practice time management);
- ask for assignment clarification in the weekly discussion forum when needed;
- watch the Blackboard discussion forum for clarifications on assignments;
- do all work at graduate performance levels;
- contact the instructor directly via email if you are having XHTML or CSS validation problems. I will expect you to give it your best effort first, but I understand that validation errors are difficult to understand.
- follow the guidelines for corresponding with the instructor – all email must have “LIBR 240” in the subject line and have a concise description of the problem in the subject line. (e.g., LIBR 240: CSS validation problem in A1).
Instructor commitment
- Grade assignments within 15 working days and post the grade in Blackboard;
- Provide feedback on errors in assignments;
- Respond to questions in the Blackboard discussion forum within 48 hours;
- Hold a weekly "office hour" period in Elluminate as needed per mutual agreement. Scheduled office time is announced on the Blackboard announcements page;
- Work with the class on scheduling. I occasionally extend due dates by a day if the majority of the class needs it.
One Washington Square - San José, California USA, 95192-0029
Phone: 408-924-2490
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