CIS 131 Webpage Development

Course introduces theoretical and hands-on instruction on the processes needed to create customized and interactive Web pages using HTML and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS). Content includes commands (tags) to create, format, and link documents; tables, graphics, styles, forms, multimedia (audio, video), navigation bar, introduction to scripting, and other features of a Web page and guidelines for designing effective Web pages and Web sites.


In CIS 131 students will learn to design & build digital products that people enjoy using.
Let's build something amazing together!

R. Capaccio 2026

OUTLINE OF TOPICS

A. World Wide Web Overview +
  • How the Web works
    • HTTP Server
    • Browser software
  • Internet / intranet / extranet relationship
B. Publishing on the Web +
  • Elements of a Web page
    • Text
    • Links
    • Images and multimedia
  • Markup language – HTML
    • Structure vs. layout
    • Tags
  • Types of HTML editors and converters
  • Copyright issues
  • History of HTML and its offshoots
C. What Makes a Good Webpage Good +
  • Principles of effective web design and usability
D. Developing a Web Presentation +
  • Defining Specifications
    • Objectives
    • Audience
    • Content
  • Organization of content
  • Web site mapping
E. Web Page Design +
  • Style Guides
    • Text
    • Optimizing Graphics
    • Navigation
F. Accessibility Standards for the Web +
  • Accessibility guidelines and compliance considerations
G. Creating Web Pages +
  • Overview of tools and techniques
    • Authoring software
    • Text editors
    • View source code
  • Basics of HTML and document markup
    • Document Structure
    • Text Markup
    • Inserting images
    • Creating Links
  • HTML 5.0 Tools and Concepts
    • Heading levels
    • Lists
    • Text styling
    • Special characters
    • Inline graphics and thumbnails
    • Links
    • Fonts
    • Web Table Layout
    • Image Maps
    • Deprecated Frame site structure conversion
    • <div> and <span> tags and creating styles
    • Web Forms
    • Multimedia (audio and video)
    • Metatags
  • Cascading Style Sheets
    • Applying a style sheet (Inline, Embedded, External)
    • Precedence, Specificity and Inheritance
    • Defining Color
    • Text Properties
    • Holder/Container tags
    • Selector Patterns
    • Backgrounds
    • Absolute vs. Relative Positioning
    • Drop shadows
    • Rotating an Object
    • Properties
  • Graphics and their use
    • Graphic formats for the web
    • Finding and using existing graphics
H. Publishing a Web Page +
  • Testing the Web page
  • P: drive as the Web Server at Oakton
  • Transferring files
    • FTP
    • Oakton Fileway
  • Changing permissions
  • Web hosting
  • Promoting a Web site
    • Search Engine placement
    • Other options
  • Absolute vs. Relative Paths
I. XHTML +
  • Overview of XHTML standards
J. Java Applets +
  • Overview and historical context
K. Introduction to JavaScript +
  • Server-Side vs. Client-Side
  • Programming logic
  • Syntax
  • Variables
  • Script element
  • Functions

Class Syllabus

CIS-131-syllabus

Resources