Course Syllabus
Contact Information
I reserve the right to modify the syllabus, including assignments, schedules, and policies, at any time to best support the learning objectives of the course.
Course Details
This course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the concepts and applications of programming languages such as HTML & CSS in building responsive and interactive websites. We will also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these sites as compared to WordPress and other PHP-based sites. The course focuses on two major aspects of building websites: (i) designing, and (ii) development.
Design: The ‘design’ aspect of the course focuses on concepts relating to wire-framing. You will learn about information hierarchy, structure of webpages, user preferences, and low-fidelity and high-fidelity wireframes. By the end of this module, you will be able to create wireframes using online tools.
Develop: ‘Development’ remains the core of this course. In this part, you will delve into HTML, CSS and various web building tools.
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Delivery
- Synchronous In-Person: Learning will primarily take place synchronously in the classroom during two sessions each week during the semester.
- Asynchronous Online: Some learning takes place online and asynchronously within this Canvas course site.
Important Dates
- Sept 2: Asyncronous work day, no class session. Please complete the HTML/CSS Pre & Post Test.
- Oct 9: Asyncronous work day, no class session.
- Nov 25: Asyncronous work day, no class session.
- Nov 27: Thanksgiving Vacation, no class session.
Course Prerequisites
- JMC 3013: Intermediate Cross-Platform Reporting
- JMC 3683: Digital Reporting
Course Materials
All materials will be included in the weekly modules of this course. Any books, articles, or materials will be provided or hyperlinked for access.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
These Program Learning Outcomes are paraphrased from the official Journalism & Mass Communication, BA learning outcomes for Gaylord College of Journalism & Mass Communication from the Office of Academic Assessment. The official learning objectives were last referenced July 2025.
- Students will develop an understanding and application of concepts and theories in the presentation of images and information.
- Students will apply tools and technologies appropriate for their professions.
- Students will conduct research and evaluate information using methods appropriate for their professions.
- Students will write accurately, fairly, and clearly in forms and styles appropriate for the professions, audiences and purposes they serve.
- Students will critically evaluate their own work and that of others for these same qualities.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) Alignment
| CLO | Description | PLO |
|---|---|---|
| A | Students will apply principles of web design to HTML & CSS and PHP websites. | 1, 2, 5 |
| B | Students will compare the strengths and weaknesses of HTML & CSS websites versus PHP websites. | 1, 3 |
| C | Students will design websites using wireframing, information hierarchy, and user preferences. | 1, 2 |
| D | Students will construct a collaborative literature review of relevant scholarship to the topics explored in this course. | 3, 4 |
| E | Students will produce web artifacts, blog posts, and other articles to collate into a portfolio, representative of their learning. | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance & Participation | Coming to class sessions prepared to participate. | 50 |
| Blogging & Reflections | Weekly writing and reflections on a personal blog website. | 150 |
| HTML/CSS Pre & Post Test | Test your growing understanding of HTML and CSS. | 100 |
| Mini-Projects & Side Quests | Practice assignments and research opportunities. | 200 |
| Mid-Term Project | An individual web design and development project. | 100 |
| Group Project | A web design and development project with peers. | 200 |
| Final Portfolio | A sharable collection of your work from the course. | 200 |
| Total | 1000 |
Scale
| Points | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 900-1000 | A |
| 800-899 | B |
| 700-799 | C |
| 600-699 | D |
| Below 600 | F |
Course Components
Attendance & Participation
Students are expected to attend class sessions. Your presence is essential for learning in this class. Students may gain a maximum of fifty points for attendance and participation in class. The following scale for absences will be used:
| Unexcused Absences | Points Possible |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | 50 |
| 3 | 35 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5+ | 0 |
Note: Attendance alone does not automatically guarantee the above points earned. Students must also be prepared for class discussions and activities.
Blogging & Reflections
Throughout the class, each student will be responsible for writing weekly blog posts. These posts will reflect on the lessons learned and work completed for the week. Some weeks will have very specific prompts, while others will be more open ended.
HTML/CSS Pre & Post Test
This assignment tests your understanding of HTML and CSS. It contains 76 questions. The value of a question varies depending on its difficulty level. Most items on the assignment are multiple-choice questions, and it also contains some true/false questions. You are allowed to take the quiz as many times as you want. You get 100 minutes to complete the quiz in each attempt. We'll keep your best score.
Mini-Projects & Side Quests
At the end of each module, you will turn in a mini-project that demonstrates your skills for that subject. This includes developing key skills in web design and development. Additionally, the Side Quests are open-ended opportunities to explore scholarship, the impacts of generative AI in the fields, and student selected topics. This work will be gathered to construct a collaborative literature review of explored scholarship. Together, the Mini-Projects and Side Quests are intended to be deeper dives and opportunities to practice key skills explored in this course.
Mid-Term Project
The Mid-Term Project is an individual assignment you will complete to advance your design and development skills. It is an intentional expansion on your blog website and sets the foundation for the Final Portfolio. This project is intended to demonstrate the growth of each student's web development skills.
Group Project
In addition to our individual projects, we will work together as a class to design and develop a web project. During this Group Project we will use project management tools to develop our collaboration skills.
Final Portfolio
Each student will build and turn in a Final Portfolio that will collect your blog posts and larger projects. This portfolio will include a reflective essay in which you discuss your own growth over the course of the semester and about how you hope to apply your skills beyond this course.
Course Policies
Communication
If you wish to contact the instructor, please reach out via email or through Teams direct messages. I anticipate being able to respond typically within 24 hours during the workweek. Inquiries received over the weekend may take longer to receive a response, likely within 48 hours. I am happy to meet synchronously in Teams, Zoom, or in-person when we schedule such meetings.
For more information related to having productive dialogs in this course, please refer to the How to Be Successful in This Course page.
Feedback
I will strive to provide feedback within a week of assignment due dates.
Late Policy
Please try and maintain timely and active participation in the course. Due dates are intended to help you stay on track. At the same time, I recognize life is messy and unpredictable. If you are not able to make a due date, please reach out to me so we can find a solution. Typically, I am willing to accept late work without penalty; however, late participation may limit your opportunity for feedback and detract from your learning experience. That said, submissions after the conclusion of the course will not be accepted, as the University's due date for final grades is a hard deadline.
Plagiarism
Much of this course is reliant on student perspectives that require sharing your own thoughts and ideas. Other words and ideas should include proper citations where applicable when presented alongside your own writing. In essence this means all of your writing is assumed to be composed by you and representative of your own understanding of the topics. This is particularly important to fulfill the official Journalism & Mass Communication, BA learning outcomes including the goal for student to come away from their time in the program able to think critically, creatively and independently.
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch the OU Libraries Plagiarism Tutorial video and take the short Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial Canvas course offered by University Libraries.
Generative AI Policy
Developing generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy is an important task in education at the moment. You are welcome to use generative AI programs such as ChatGPT or Copilot to help you in this course. Using such tools to brainstorm ideas or provide feedback on your work are encouraged! That said, please consider the data privacy concerns and the environmental impact of using such tools—they are not without costs. In other words, please use these tools intentionally and responsibly. For this course, it is encouraged to use the universities free access to Microsoft Copilot as it offers a more private generative AI experience than other commercial entities.
While generative AI can be used for scholarly purposes, it is essential not to present such materials as your original work. Any submission should not give the impression that it was authored by AI. In other words, any content generated using AI tools should undergo significant editing and be infused with your unique ideas and creativity. Human voices and perspectives are important to our scholarship!
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Gaylord Student Support Resources
The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication is committed to creating safe spaces for students to discuss challenges they are facing with the goal of encouraging retention and graduation. One-on-one resources are available that foster a personalized approach to delivering academic and other support for students. Although drop-ins are welcome, appointments are highly encouraged via email:
Student Support Advocate
Deborah Binkley-Jackson, M.H.R., LPC: dbjackson@ou.edu
Office location: Gaylord Hall, Rm 2005 (Thursdays & Fridays: 9 am - 5 pm, or by appointment)
Academic Life Coach
Sean Hardrick, M.Ed.: smhardrick@ou.edu
Office location: Gaylord Hall, Rm 2527 (Mondays & Wednesdays: 9 am - 5 pm, or by appointment) and Wagner Hall (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday).
University Academic Policies Document
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|