Syllabus
General Information
Course Number
INFO 2480-061 (1282)
Course Title
Website Database Implementation
Credits
3
Semester/Class
Spring 2024
Faculty Name
Dan Card
Office Hours
Contact Info for Office Hours
Phone/Email
Blackboard Messaging daniel_card@uml.edu
Email: daniel_card@uml.edu
Course Description
It is almost impossible to think about creating any sort of modern web site or application without the use of databases and at least a cursory knowledge of how they work. Almost everything online uses a database at some level whether it is an ultra-complex system such as Facebook or Amazon.com, a prepackaged tool such as Drupal or Wordpress, or a relatively simple site which requires a log on to gain access to some content. This course is designed to provide a straightforward but comprehensive overview of what these systems are, how they work, and how they can be incorporated into your projects.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the students will demonstrate the ability to:
Basic knowledge of Web Development tools such as git, IDEs, and CLIs
Ability to use HTML, CSS and JavaScript to create a working User Interface (UI)
Understanding of MVC and separation of concerns when it comes to web development
Ability to create and edit data tables and basic Create, Retrieve, Update and Delete ( CRUD ) SQL
Basic to intermediate programming concepts and techniques such as using objects, arrays, loops, scopes, classes and functions.
Combine all of the above techniques to create a working and searchable book repository, user login and simple content management system.
Textbook/Readings
General Information
This class is primarily about building databases and making them accessible via websites. At the end of it, you will have created a searchable "bookstore" which has public facing pages where a user can
Search for a book by title or genre and be presented with one, many or zero options
Create an account and password
View articles and other information about the store such as hours and short articles
It will also include a management portion where an employee can
Enter new books into the database
Edit information about books already in the database
Manage information such as new genres, publishers and so on.
As we create these things, we are also going to use many of the tools which are common by professional developers including
Command Line Interface (CLI) tools
Git - a version control system
Github.com - an online tool which uses version control tools to help developers collaborate on code
Development tools including code hinting, code folding, and sytax highlighting
Debugging tools such as line breaks
Good Architecture practices such as the MVC model and separation of concerns
We will be using a new language called BoxLang which has a rich ecosystem of development tools and a syntax which is easy to learn with a minimum of overheard and "boilerplate" typing necessary which allows us to focus on the main code of our project. In additional to being powerful and versatile in its own right, the concepts we learn in this class are transferrable too nearly any other programming language so there is no fear of being "locked in" to using a particular language.
Hopefully we'll have some fun along the way as well.
Teaching Methods:
The course primarily consists of hands on web development combined with reading to provide background and concepts and journals to encourage reflection on the lessons learned during the creation process.
Attendance and Participation:
Attendance for online classes is a bit more nebulous than in person classes. Participation in the discussion forums is expected.
We will have chats every week. Although these chats are optional, they are highly recommended. As opposed to the discussion threads, chats are held in “real time”. Chats are held once a week. As I get to know the class, I might add more times to accommodate special schedules or time zones.
Likewise, if I should become ill or need to miss class, I will communicate with you via Blackboard and/or Email as soon as possible with clear instructions.
A note on Zoom (or Blackboard Collaborate) Participation: It is strongly recommended and requested that you keep cameras on during class. This tends to improve engagement and helps me better assess everyone's comprehension. In this class students are expected to keep their on cameras on during class (or you may narrow this to “during lectures or discussion”) unless you have a valid reason not to, which you should discuss with me ahead of time. Occasionally turning your camera off during class to attend to a distraction is fine.
Assessment and Evaluation Methods:
Working with tangible or digital substances provides an opportunity for quick assessment. If your code and processes are correct, it should work. If it isn’t working, there is something wrong with the code or the process. In this class, we will have many exercises dealing with web scripting and database (db) manipulation. If the db looks like it’s supposed to, it works. If the page operates like expected, it works. Getting your code and the exercise to work makes up the majority of your grade. However, button pushing isn’t the only skill involved. It is important that you understand the bigger picture including what is happening behind the scenes, trends in the industry, design questions which face database and web developers and designers and issues you might face in your coming or present situations. It’s not enough to be a code jockey!
Practical Exercises and Working Web Pages (Primarily the final project)
60
This is exercises and final project
Tests / Quizzes
10
Journals
10
Overall Participation in Discussion Forums, Chats, Mail and Blog
Postings
20
Total
100
Numeric Grade:
Letter Grade:
94-100
A
90-93
A-
87-89
B+
84-86
B
80-83
B-
77-79
C+
74-76
C
70-73
C-
67-69
D+
64-66
D
0-63
F
Tutoring Resources and Centers for Learning and Academic Support Services (CLASS):
Student Mental Health and Well-being
I am available to talk with you about stresses related to your work in my class.
Disability Services
Academic Integrity Policy:
Outline clearly your own policies for academic integrity.
Credit Hour Policy
Federal definition of a credit hour requires that for every course credit awarded, a course must offer 15 hours of instructor-led course activities and 30 hours of out-of-class student work. This means that a standard 3 credit hour course requires 45 hours of instructor-led course activities and 90 hours of out-of-class student work.
University Privacy Statement
UMass Lowell recognizes the importance of mutual trust between students and faculty. Neither faculty nor students may record video or audio of a course or private conversation without all parties' consent. Massachusetts is a two-party consent state, which means it is illegal to record someone without their permission. Recordings of classroom lectures are the intellectual property of the instructor. Instructors have the right to prohibit audio and video recording of their lectures, unless the requesting student is registered with Disabilities Services and recording of class sessions is an approved accommodation. In addition, sharing of or selling recordings of classroom activity, discussions or lectures with any other person or medium without permission of the instructor is prohibited.
Students should expect that chat sessions will be recorded and made available on demand to members of the class through Blackboard. This is true whether it is announced during the chat or not.
Late Work
In this class, each week involves work and concepts which build on the previous weeks so it is highly encouraged that you keep as up to date as possible. However, life happens and sometimes things needs to take higher priority than the weeks assignments. If you find yourself getting behind in the class or there are extenuating circumstances which I should know about, please reach out to me.
Course Outline & Class Schedule:
The course outline is available on Blackboard and will be tailored to your specific semester and pace.
Last updated