TT280: Web Applications - Design, Development and Management

May - July 2002

I took this course because I thought it might give me some confidence. Confidence? Yes, because, basically, I thought it might be easy as I already knew how to code webpages. WRONG! Oh, I knew how to code webpages alright - but not properly! I also already knew about W3C, but never thought I would have to take them seriously! This was a pilot presentation and some problems were anticipated. However, those problems were far greater than expected and became rather farcical at times. (The FC conference also became a war zone occasionally!). All's fair in love and war though - and I was very happy to come out of it with a grade 2 pass. I learnt a lot too and am trying not to fall back into bad habits. It's inevitable that I shall though!

The coursework was centred around 2 American course books.

"HTML Second Edition". Reding/Vodnik. ISBN 0-619-01770-8 and

"Designing Web Sites". Joel Sklar. ISBN 0-619-01821-6

I was grateful that I already knew how to code HTML, for or else the work would've been far too much. I felt sorry for those for whom it was new. However, there was much to learn about standards, accessibility etc - and, much indignation when I HAD to learn how to use CSS (I had always avoided it like the plague!). The coursework was tested by means of 3 CMAs (multi-choice), the first of which was a total shambles as we had to "guess" how many answers there were. I don't think anybody did all that well on that one! I got a miserable 63% and, for the other two CMAs 75% each, which gave me an average of 71% for the coursework. The ECA (the examinable component) was by way of a project in which we had to write a report of 2,500 words to a (pretend) seller of stainless steel pots who wanted us to design a web site for him! To go with this, we had to design 4 templates - but here too there was a farcical element as the powers that be firstly stated that we were not to use images or frames - and then changed their minds (when it was rather late for those who had already started). I thought mine was quite a mess, so was very surprised to find that I had been awarded 91% for my effort!

The course was poorly supported, with the right hand often not knowing what the left was - but it was an interesting jaunt and I'm glad I did it! I'm sure that, with the pilot presentation done and dusted, encountered problems will be much less and therefore the course will be more enjoyable and "sorted".