JEM 560

Spring 2005

Advanced Web Publishing

Course Details

Instructor: Benjamin J. Bates, Ph.D. Off: 333 Comm Bldg.

Office Hours: T/TH 3-5 & by appt.

Contact: bjbates@utk.edu 865-974-4013 865-974-5056 (fax)

Official Course Description

Electronic research and publishing. Social, legal and ethical challenges surrounding online publishing. Project planning and storyboarding techniques for designing and creating site on Web. Prereq: JEM 488

Real Course Description

This is not a course on HTML or how to put up your own website. Rather, this course will focus on the issues facing web publishers, from initial conceptualization through development, design, implementation of web publications, and the maintenance of web publications. We will begin with evaluating sponsor and audience needs and expectations, then address usability, social, legal, and economic issues influencing design and operations, and consider management issues involved with development, implementation and maintenance of web publications. This will be done with regard to specific ideas for web publications that will form the heart of individual and group projects. Over the term, students will develop and design a web publication, including a prototype site, and develop formal proposals for implementation, operation, and maintenance of that web publication.

Course Requirements

Attendance and Discussion (15%) While roll will not be explicitly called, it is expected that those taking the course will attend and participate in discussions. This is a small graduate course that will cover a great deal of material in a seminar fashion.

Individual Reports (60%) There will be a number of reports and analyses to be made throughout the course, corresponding to various aspects/stages of the web publishing process.

Team Project (25%) Students will work in teams to prepare a formal proposal/design/operational plan for a web publication.

Texts

Required:

Joe Burns. Web Site Design Goodies. Que. ISBN: 0789724855

Patrick Lynch & Sarah Horton. Web Style Guide: Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites, 2^nd Ed. Yale Univ. Press. ISBN 0300088981

Roy Strauss & Patrick Hogan Developing Effective Websites. Focal Press. ISBN: 0240804430

Recommended:

Jakob Nielsen. Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity. New Riders Press. ISBN: 156205810X

Jennifer Niederst. Web Design in a Nutshell. O’Rielly. ISBN: 1565925157

Joe Burns. HTML Goodies. 2nd Edition. Que. ISBN: 0789726114

Tentative Schedule

(specific readings and assignments will be indicated in class and on the official Online@UT website)

1 Introduction of Course; Defining and Selecting Web Publications

2 Analyzing Needs and Determining Goals

3 Developing a Project Plan

4 Development, Design, and Protoyping

5 Implementation and Testing

6 Formal Presentations of Plans

General Requirements and Notices:

All materials to be turned in for this class must be typed, or printed on at least a NLQ computer printer. They should be double-spaced, with normal font sizes and margins. Short assignments may be sent as an email attachment (in MSWord or RTF formats only, please).
No extensions on written assignments will be given. Students with extremely valid excuses may be given an opportunity to make up assignments. The instructor is the final arbiter of excuses and their acceptability. You must contact the professor as soon as you are aware of any problems or conflicts.
While students are encouraged to study and work together, it is also expected that all work turned in will be original and individual-- plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a score of 0 on the plagiarized work and/or notification of appropriate authorities. If you still have any doubts as to what plagiarism is, consult your various handbooks and guides, or ask the instructor.
The instructor is willing to work with students with special needs, and make any necessary special arrangements possible to facilitate their learning experience in this class. However, those individuals will need to consult with the instructor about their needs as soon as possible.
The instructor reserves the right to modify the course schedule and requirements. Any changes will be announced during class meetings and on the official Online@UT course website.