CS3382 Web Usability Design and Engineering

Part I

Course Duration: One Semester

Credit Units: 3

Level: B3

Medium of Instruction: English

Pre-requisites: Nil

Pre-cursors:
CS2161 Fundamentals of Web Technologies /or
CS2172 Fundamentals of Computing /or
CS2204 Fundamentals of Internet Applications Development /or
CS2301 Problem Solving and Programming /or
CS2331 Problem Solving and Programming /or
CS3270 Fundamentals of Computer Networks and the Internet /or
CS4281 Internet Applications Development /or equivalent

Equivalent Courses: Nil

Exclusive Courses: Nil

Part II

1.     Course Aims:
The aim of this course is to provide engineering students with a balance of design and engineering concepts related to Website design and usability. This course teaches students how to design, create, and analyze websites for usability and accessibility.  It covers Website design principles and best practices.  It also covers the engineering aspects of Website design and usability.  This includes an overview of Web standards, basic design principles, basic Web color theory, typography, usability guidelines, accessibility standards, search engine optimization, and trends.

2.      Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
(state what the student is expected to be able to do at the end of the course according to a given standard of performance)

Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

No.	CILOs	Weighting(if applicable)
1.	perform a website design project using established process models and best practices;
2.	implement website using Web standards;
3.	apply sound design principles and best practices for usability and accessibility to Website construction;
4.	perform usability testing to improve website usability;
5.	use tools and techniques, such as website analytics and search engine optimization, to improve usability;
6.	explain new technologies and trends in Web design/development.

3.      Teaching and learning Activities (TLAs):
(designed to facilitate students' achievement of the CILOs)

Teaching pattern:
Suggested lecture/tutorial/laboratory mix:  2 hrs. lecture; 1 hr. tutorial.

This course consists of highly interactive lectures with extensive learning activities, reading assignments, class discussions, and student presentations on their readings and website constructions.  Students will be guided through the process of designing, developing, producing, and revising websites for usability and accessibility.

Student participation is important for this class.  The student is expected to do a fair amount of reading both within and outside of the textbooks. Students are required to perform a website “redesign” project using usability/accessibility guidelines as well as basic graphic design knowledge to maximize website usability.

As a form of knowledge sharing, students are expected to present in class what they learned from their own reading and research. They are also expected to select and critically analyze existing websites for design and usability.

Based on the Course ILOs, the teaching/learning activities of this course may include:

ILO No	TLAs	Hours/week(if applicable)
CILO 1 to CILO 6	Journal - As a learning and knowledge sharing tool, students are required to keep a reflective journal to record learning progress and useful insights as student progress through this course.  The journal provides evidence to support the learning of website design and usability/accessibility best practices.  This task will support all the Course ILOs.
CILO 1 to CILO 6	Presentations - Class participation and knowledge sharing is an important part of the learning process. Students are required to make presentations during tutorial and discuss findings with class.  The teacher will guide discussions and help focus issues.  This activity helps support all the Course ILOs.
CILO 1 to CILO 6	Mini-Project – Each student will be required to apply what they learned in class to the design of a simple website following usability, accessibility and design best practices as well as Web standards.  The mini-project should be documented in a final project report.  This activity directly supports all the Course ILOs.

4.      Assessment Tasks/Activities:
(designed to assess how well the students achieve the CILOs)

The Course ILOs are assessed using the following approach:

ILO No	Type of assessment tasks/activities	Weighting (if applicable)	Remarks
CILO 1	Perform a website design project using established process models and best practices. Coursework – The quality of the mini-project will allow us to assess student's ability in following process model for website design as well as whether they can apply best practices to their work. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' knowledge of website development process models, the key process steps, their objectives and milestones as well as design best practices and the reasons behind these best practices.
CILO 2	Implement website using Web standards. Coursework – The website developed as part of the mini-project will need to be validated for compliance with Web standards. This validation will allow us to assess student's ability in follow Web standards in website design. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' knowledge of Web standards, details of the standards and the rationale behind these standards as well as emerging trends.
CILO 3	Apply sound design principles and best practices for usability and accessibility to Website construction. Coursework – The quality of the website developed as part of the mini-project and the student's self-assessment in their report will be used to assess this ILO.  The student's journal will also give an indication of the student's depth of knowledge in these areas. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' knowledge of design principles as well as usability and accessibility guidelines.
CILO 4	Perform usability testing to improve website usability. Coursework – The quality of usability testing performed in their mini-project and the journal will be used to assess student's knowledge on these topics. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' knowledge of usability testing, its process, purpose and outcomes.
CILO 5	Use tools and techniques, such as website analytics and search engine optimization, to improve usability. Coursework – The tools and techniques used in the mini-project plus their journal entries on website analytics and search engine optimization will be used to assess this ILO. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' implementation knowledge as well as website analytics and search engine optimization techniques.
CILO 6	Explain new technologies and trends in Web design/development. Coursework – Examples of new technologies/trends will be presented in class; students will use their weekly journal entries to document their studies related to this ILO; students should analyze their mini-project and explain how it might relate to these newer technologies/trends. Examination – Questions will be designed to assess students' knowledge on these new technologies and trends and how they might impact Web design.

5.     Grading of Student Achievement:

Examination duration: 2 hours
Percentage of coursework, examination, etc.: 60% CW; 40% Exam
Grading pattern: Standard (A+AA-…F)
For a student to pass the course, at least 30% of the maximum mark for the examination must be obtained.

This is a CEF approved course, students who want to apply for CEF claims must achieve at least 70% minimum attendance and obtain at least 50% passing mark for the assessment of the course.

Part III

Keyword Syllabus:

Website Development Methodologies, Website Usability, Website Accessibility. Web Standards, XHTML/CSS, Design Principles and Style Guidelines, Information Architecture, Graphic Design and Layout, Fonts and Colors, Usability Testing, Search Engine Optimization, Website Analytics, Web 2.0.