Digital Media Workshop I: Web Publishing and Design

JRL365Z

Fall 2001 semester, University at Albany

Instructor: David Washburn

Room: Digital Workshop 3, Science Library

Time: Mondays, 7:15-10:05 p.m.

Phone: 587-7138 (home), 454-5787 (work)

e-mail: canadaeh@nycap.rr.com

Office: Humanities 363 (442-4051)

Course overview

Digital Media Workshop I focuses on the science and art of editing and design required in today’s world of online journalism. The class is taught in a hands-on workshop atmosphere in an electronic classroom. Students will learn to use the following software: Photoshop, MS Word, MS Excel, and an HTML editor (Hot Dog, Dreamweaver, HTML Kit or other). Students will also be required to report and write original works of journalism, which will be included in personal and team projects.

Goals

To provide students with an overview of HTML, online journalism and online storytelling. To enhance students’ editing, design and computer skills.

Grading and attendance

Each of three “final projects” (due Oct. 29, Nov. 12 and Dec. 10) is worth 30 percent of your final grade. The other 10 percent is based upon attendance. You are allowed one unexcused absence. Two absences will result in a loss of one-third letter grade; three absences results in a loss of two-thirds letter grade; four absences results in loss of one full letter grade. More than four absences means you will struggle to achieve a passing grade and hurt your teammates in the workshop atmosphere. Please be considerate. There are no quizzes or tests, but you will be asked questions and be asked to demonstrate your progress during the term. Your answers and participation level go toward the final grade.

Textbook

"HTML for the World Wide Web" by Elizabeth Castro.

WEEK 1 Monday, Aug. 27

• Welcome and syllabus overview.
• Guidelines for computer use and file storage, including FTP and how to upload computer files to a Web server.

• Brief introduction to HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language), the standard language used for World Wide Web sites.
• Assignment due Sept. 10: Read textbook chapters 1 (HTML Building Blocks), 2 (Starting Your Web Page) and 3 (Text Formatting).

WEEK 2 Monday, Sept. 3

• No class – Labor Day

WEEK 3 Monday, Sept. 10

• Analysis of local, national and international newspapers online. What works and what doesn’t. Discussion of how the World Wide Web has changed publishing and created a competitive career field. How newspapers, magazines, TV and radio have reacted. A discussion of the future of publishing, on paper and the Internet.

• Your first Web page. Everyone creates an individual Web page in class tonight. It’s the first step toward the completion of Project I – personal Web site.
• The anchor tag. Create links to sites you find for your assignment below.

• Assignment due Sept. 24: Read textbook chapters 7 (Links), 4 (Creating Web Images) and 5 (Using Images).

• Assignment due Sept. 24: No class next Monday. Research and link from your personal Web page to the home pages of three (3) newspaper Web sites, two (2) magazine Web sites and one (1) E-zine site that are examples of quality design work. Be prepared to discuss these in class Sept. 24.

WEEK 4 Monday, Sept. 17

• No class

WEEK 5 Monday, Sept. 24

• In-class presentation by students of their personal Web pages and the links to news Web sites from Sept. 10.
• PhotoShop for the Web – creating and using images online.
• The process: acquire the image, crop, adjust resolution, adjust size, adjust levels, sharpen, compress, and prepare IMG tag and ALT attribute.
• The terms: GIF vs. JPG, Web-safe colors, dithering, download speed.
• Online resource: http://builder.cnet.com/webbuilding/0-3883-8-4892140-1.html

• Assignment due Oct. 1: Add at least three images to your Web page. Create a second Web page with reciprocal links to each.

• Assignment due Oct. 1: Read textbook chapter 6 (Page Layout).

WEEK 6 Monday, Oct. 1

• In-class workshop time – designing your personal Web site. So far, you have created a few pages. Now it’s time to design the hierarchy, linking structure and content that turns pages into a site.
• Your personal Web site will consist of a “home page” and a minimum of three interior pages. The site should say something about who you are. First draft due in class Oct. 15. Final due Oct. 29.
• Assignment due Oct. 8: Read textbook chapter 9 (Tables).

• Assignment due Oct. 8: Choose your three favorite Web sites. Create an HTML page with the names of those sites, links to those sites and a description of what you like about each. Include images.

WEEK 7 Monday, Oct. 8

• Roundtable discussion of "favorite" Web sites from last week’s assignment.

• HTML: page layout and tables

• In-class demonstration of how tables work and how to manipulate them.

• Announcement of teams for online assignment. Discussion of possibilities, requirements and restrictions of this project. It will include original reporting and writing by each team member.

• Team building -- design the structure and goals of your Web site using sticky notes.

• Assignment due Oct. 15: Read textbook chapter 8 (Lists).
• Assignment: Begin brainstorming for your Web project. An executive summary with a “home page” sketch is due Oct. 22. Final project is due Nov. 12.

WEEK 8 Monday, Oct. 15

• Continued: HTML page layout and tables

• Continued: In-class demonstration of how tables work and how to manipulate them.

• Continue two-person team project in class.

• First draft of personal Web site is due. Time for one-on-one critique and feedback. Final is due Oct. 29.

• Assignment due Oct. 22: Read textbook chapter 10 (Frames).

WEEK 9 Monday, Oct. 22

• Continue two-person team project in class.

• Executive summary and “home page” sketch” of two-person team project is due. Final is due Nov. 12.
• In-class demonstration of effective uses of frames.

• Assignment due Oct. 29: Use tables in your team Web pages, either ones you have already designed or new ones. Turn the table borders on so that we can see them. Assignment due Oct. 29: Read textbook chapter 18 (JavaScript).

• Assignment due Oct. 29: Implement lists and frames somewhere on your site.

WEEK 10 Monday, Oct. 29

• Personal Web site final due. Please turn in paper with your name, contact information and Web site URL.

• Continue two-person team project in class.

• In-class demonstration of JavaScript.
• In-class demonstration of slicing an image into pieces (page 314-315) for use of JavaScript rollovers.
• Announcement of three-person project: Storytelling. You and your partners will design a site that tells a story. Consider interactivity. Allow users choices and options. Grade is based on creativity, clarity, design and a good story. Final project is due Dec. 10.
• Assignment due Nov. 5: Read textbook chapters 11 (Forms) and 19 (Extras).
• Assignment due Nov. 5: Implement JavaScript somewhere on your site.

WEEK 11 Monday, Nov. 5

• Continue two-person team project in class.
• In-class demonstration of forms, view source (page 310), mailto links (page 313), counter (page 312).

WEEK 12 Monday, Nov. 12

• Two-person team Web project due.
• Full demonstration by each team.
• Please turn in paper with names, contact information and Web site URL.

WEEK 13 Monday, Nov. 19

• Continue three-person team project in class.
• In-class demonstration on producing animated GIFs

WEEK 14 Monday, Nov. 26

• Continue three-person team project in class.

WEEK 15 Monday, Dec. 3

• Continue three-person team project in class.

WEEK 16 Monday, Dec. 10

• Three-person team Web project due.
• Full demonstration by each team.
• Please turn in paper with names, contact information and Web site URL.