UB University of Baltimore
Merrick School of Business


INSS 701 - Internet Development for Business - Fall 1999 Example

Mondays 5:30 - 8:00 PM
and 1 1/2 hours weekly on the Web

Professor Al Bento
office BC 473 v-mail 837-5272
e-mail abento@ubmail.ubalt.edu URL http://home.ubalt.edu/abento

Office hours: Wednesdays 6:00 - 8:00 PM and Thurdays 3:00 - 5:00 PM

[assignments][project][term paper][outline][Forum]

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The objective of this course is the analysis, design, implementation and maintenance of World Wide Web (Web) business sites. Uses of the Internet for business and Electronic Commerce. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) concepts and tools, including graphical and text-oriented editors. Business graphics, audio and video content in Web pages. Advanced HTML concepts like imagemap, forms, frames, tables and style sheets as page formatting tools, dynamic HTML. Client-side scripting using Java Script. Introduction to Java and CGI programming. Developing Web sites as business presentations using the MIDIA_C framework and the tools mastered in the course. Students will develop a Web site for a real-life organization, and analyze an exemplary business Web site.

When you complete this course you will have:

  1. the ability to use the Net for gathering information for papers in other courses, business reports, etc.
  2. the ability to use the Net to obtain files, drivers, etc, from Microsoft, WordPerfect, Lotus, and many others, and keep informed of their new products, services, etc.
  3. your resume on-line (home page), using graphics and your picture.
  4. advanced knowledge of Web site development concepts, tools and client-side scripting.
  5. learned the uses of Web sites for business and how to incorporate these uses in the design of Web sites, based on the MIDIA_C framework.
  6. the experience of developing a site on the Web for a real life business, public, or non-profit organization.

Each class meeting will be divided in two parts:

  1. face-to-face discussions of main components and tools of the Internet and their applications for Business. From 8:15 to 9:30 PM in class. This is the only part of the class students need to be physically at the campus.

  2. lectures and tutorials on the Web at the students own pace, at the place and time of their choice. Corresponds to 1 1/2 hours of distance (web) learning. Students may use their home or office computers, as well as campus facilities, to access the Web. An username and password may be required to read the materials of this part of the class meeting.

CLASS MATERIALS

Class handouts will be available on the Web at the following address of the course syllabus:

The course syllabus is linked to the class materials. You can see and print the class materials at the Lab and from your office or home (an Internet provider costs between $10-30 per month), using a Web browser (Netscape or Internet Explorer 3.0 and above required).

Note: To print properly this syllabus set top and bottom margins to 1" in your browser.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Assignments (10) 35%
Project (client's page) 40%
Term paper 25%

Assignments

All assignments are to be done individually, and either will be submitted by e-mail, or posted on the Web.

  1. WebBoard: introduce yourself.
  2. e-mail: results of Web search on web browsers and servers
  3. ftp: ftp a copy of student.html to UBMAIL.
  4. new or updated individual home page.
  5. new page with imagemap leading to at least three different pages.
  6. new page with favorite sites using style sheets and tables.
  7. a version of your home page framed, with imagemap in left frame.
  8. new page with simple form linked to home page, using FormMail.
  9. new page with an adapted JavaScript applet.
  10. new page with a modified JavaScript applet.

Project

The development of a Web site (presentation) for an organization, in groups of two to three students. I will provide a list of potential clients for you to select from. Some will be from the Merrick School or UB, while others will be outside clients. There will be the opportunity for you to develop a page for your own organization, if it is a small-size or public/not-for-profit organization. See the criteria for project evaluatiuon. Some projects will be linked to, or become part of, the Merrick School page.

Project milestones:

  1. List of potential clients distributed (printed format) -- 10/20
  2. Contract with clients due -- 11/03
  3. Client's draft pages due -- 11/24
  4. My e-mail with recommendations on the drafts -- 11/29
  5. Presentations -- 12/15
  6. Client pages due in diskette and printed format -- 12/20

Term paper

An exemplary use of the Web for Business. You will select a Web site of your liking, explain what kind of business use it is exemplifying, and why you think this is an exemplary site or use. You are supposed to convert your term paper to HTML, save it in your account, and link it to your individual home page. Timetable:

TEXTBOOK AND REFERENCES

Required:

Lemay, L. and Tyler D. Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in 21 Days, SAMS Publishing, October 1998. ISBN: 0672313456

or

Lemay, L. and Tyler D. Sams Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML 4 in 21 Days, Professional Reference Edition, Second Edition, SAMS Publishing, February 2000, paperback. ISBN: 0672318385

Optional:

Krol. E. and Ferguson, P. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web , O'Reilly & Associates, 1998.

Web references:

Too many to list here. See my list of Web sites for a summary, at the following URLs:

OUTLINE
Day 5:30 - 8:00 1 1/2 hours on the Web Assignments
09/01 Course and Internet overview. Group formation and lab acquaintance 1. introduce yourself in the course Web Board
09/08 Web introduction and browsing, e-mail. Telnet and FTP -- UBMail and Windows NT. 2. e-mail: results of Web search on Web browsers and servers.
3. ftp: ftp a copy of student.html to UBMAIL.
09/15 Essential HTML: your home page. Creating your WWW directory and hits counter. 4. new or updated individual home page.
09/22 Marketing uses. HTML: lists and imagemaps. Images, sounds, streaming audio and background colors. 5. new page with imagemap leading to at least three different pages.
09/29 Customer service uses. Table and style sheets use for page formatting. Dynamic HTML - content positioning and downloadable fonts. 6. new page with favorite sites using style sheets and tables.
10/06 Cost Control and Publishing uses. Frames. Frames, dynamic HTML and elements of design. 7. a version of your home page framed, with imagemap.
10/13 The MIDIA_C framework and the design of business sites. Forms and CGIs. 8. new page with simple form linked to home page, using FormMail.
10/20 JavaScript introduction JavaScript tools 9. new page with an adapted JavaScript applet.
10/27 Programming in JavaScript JavaScript applets 10. new page with a modified JavaScript applet.
11/03 Tools for site development: FrontPage and NetObjects. Group work on clients' Web site development Term paper topic selection due.
11/10 Perl overview Group work on clients' Web site development  
11/17 CGI and Perl scripts Group work on clients' Web site development Term paper due
11/24 Introduction to Java Group work on clients' Web site development Draft of client Web site due on the Web for review.
12/01 Electronic Commerce and Security Group work on clients' Web site development  
12/15 Presentations Presentations Final client Web sites posted on the Web
12/20 Project documentation due    

This page is maintained by Al Bento who can be reached at abento@ubmail.ubalt.edu. This page was last updated on April 23, 1999. Although we will attempt to keep this information accurate, we can not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided.