Online Training Module for an Introduction to Website Development

For
National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE)

Submitted by
Mariel Bartolome ENGL393H University of Maryland, College Park

Date
6 February 2013

Abstract
Since the invention of the Internet, we have the power to gain information faster than before, in larger quantities, and where previously impossible. Although the majority of the Internet population has the ability to utilize and interact with websites, a fraction of that population has the ability to create their own. In the Digital Age where technology and information is central to everyday life, web development isnt just a technology but a form of expression. An online training module on website development will teach people to how to share information in new ways - in a way that not only contributes to the growth of knowledge, but to technology itself.

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Contents
BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................... 3 PLAN ..................................................................................................................................... 3 SCOPE................................................................................................................................... 3 TARGET AUDIENCE ...........................................................................................................4 RECOMMENDATIONS .......................................................................................................4

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Background
A common analogy to learning how to code is learning to speak a new language. Most people in industrialized countries know how to use technology, but they dont know how to create their own technology. In terms of the analogy, they know how to read, but not how to write. The benefits of learning how to create a website are similar to learning how to speak a new language. You are able to express yourself in a more interesting way, share information, and communicate new ideas. Recently, the interest in coding education has advanced significantly. People are noting the importance of learning technology, and this training module would contribute to technology education, specifically in the area of website development.

Scope
The training module will focus only on the two most important technologies in web development HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets). They are the basis of a websites design, and they are the first two technologies a web developer should learn. Although each subject itself is vast and dense, the module will focus on the basic tools needed to establish the structure of a website and common styling techniques.

Plan
An effective training module on an introduction to web development needs to be conscientious of the user, who may have little or no experience with the technology. The training module needs to present the material in a way thats meaningful to the user. In addition, web development is best learned by doing, so the instruction set would be very input-based. Instead of intermittent questions, the module will ask the user to input actual code based on the previous lesson. As each topic is covered, the module will build upon the users previous input so that by the end of the course, the user will have made their first web page. The instruction set will be split into two parts. The first half of the module would focus on HTML, which is the skeleton of a website. The module will help visualize a website in terms of an actual skeleton, since the structure of a HTML includes a head, body, and footer. Because HTML is very hierarchical, the module should allow user to visualize the outline of a website and how different components are nested into others.

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The second half of the module will focus on CSS, which controls the design of the webpage. If HTML is the skeleton of a web page, CSS is the skin and tendons. The module will show how the two technologies interact with each other in a way produces a styled and structured website. For the product description, the module will into detail about what HTML actually is instructions for how a website is displayed. The process description will then explain how the web browser interprets HTML and displays it accordingly. The module will also include scientific finding such as the benefits of computer literacy and how computer programming trains you to have a systematic process.

Targeted Audience
The user does not need any background in web development, but should at least be a competent computer user. Anyone who is competent with a computer regardless of age has the ability to complete the training module. People are becoming aware of the pervasiveness of information and technology, and the importance of knowing how to utilize it. More and more school curriculums are starting to include computer science. More and more companies are eyeing people that have a strong technical background. Its important that the training module tailors to a wide demographic, so that people can take part in and contribute to this growing technology.

Recommendations
Our generation is characterized as being technology natives. We grew up with modern technological innovations such as the personal computer, the Internet, tablets, and smart phones. Although we are savvy enough to use them, the majority of us dont have the inclination to learn how to make them. In an age of burgeoning technology, its important that we not only know how to use these technologies, but that we can contribute to them in our own ways. Knowledge is power, and giving people the knowledge of how to create a website is giving them the power to share information and convey new ideas. Thus, depriving people of technology education is to deprive them of that power. The proposed training module will teach an introduction to web development, so that users can learn how to create a website as well as gain an appreciation for making technology.

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