Department ___PCSE__
Course Number _CPSC216___
AREAS OF INQUIRY
Course Name: Multimedia & Web Publishing
INFORMAL AND FORMAL
REASONING
This form must be submitted to the Faculty Council on Liberal Learning and Academic Life as part of the submission
process.
Please attach a proposed syllabus for this course and the Undergraduate Curriculum Course Proposal Form.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 16 September 2005
Please answer the following questions:
Check Only One:
✓ This course is an existing course (in the current curriculum) that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
 This is a new course that we are now proposing for this Area of Inquiry.
1. Name and contact information for the department chair administrating this course.
Dr. David C. Doughty, doughty@pcs.cnu.edu, 4-7365
2. In any given semester, how many sections of this course is your department willing to offer?
1 in Fall, 1 in Spring
3. Why is this course being offered/what is it designed to achieve (Course purpose/goal)?
This course is designed to teach students how to design and program effective and attractive multimedia web
pages, using a balanced approach combining Computer Science and Visual Communications Design. After taking
this course students should be able to: use XHTML, CSS, and javascript/Perl; understand and apply principles of
visual design; create, compose, and edit digital images; integrate text, images, video and audio into web pages;
follow a systematic method for troubleshooting faulty web pages.
4. Check at least three objectives below that the course will address.
✓ Demonstrate competence in the evaluative strategies of inductive and/or deductive reasoning
 Distinguish between formal and informal methods of reasoning and apply each to solve a problem
 Compare various methodologies of proof
 Critique a fallacious argument
✓ Articulate the structure of, limitations of, and/or comparisons between languages (can include artificial
languages, natural languages, or both)
✓ Explore the structure of scientific reasoning and/or cognition
5. Briefly explain how this class addresses the above objectives. A course may cover more than three
objectives.
a.) Demonstrate competence in the evaluative strategies of inductive and/or deductive reasoning
Competence in deductive reasoning is required in order to troubleshoot faulty web pages. The appearance,
structure, and behavior of pages are described in textual form, i.e., programs. Students must be able to
determine what the faults are (e.g., button not working, text not formatted correctly) and determine if the error
is due to the network, the browser, system configuration, or their programs. Since appearance is specified
separately from structure and from behavior, students must also determine if the error is likely to be in their
CSS, XHTML, or javascript/Perl programs. Trial and error, guessing and luck might work for short, single
web pages, but for web sites (collections of pages) or complex pages, a systematic approach is required.
b.) Articulate the structure of, limitations of, and/or comparisons between languages (can include artificial
languages, natural languages, or both).
Multimedia web page development involves programming. One level (CSS) specifies the appearance of the
web pages, another level (XML, XHTML) specifies structure and content, and yet another level (e.g., forms,
javascript/Perl) specifies behavior. Successful use of these different languages requires understanding their
structure (e.g., well-formed documents) and limits (e.g., XHTML is meant for content, not appearance).
c.) Explore the structure of scientific reasoning and/or cognition
Web programming requires students be able to map a textual specification into a visual / auditory artifact.
They must develop mental models to support this mapping. For example, CSS uses a box model that
describes how visual elements are laid out on a page. Students must learn this model in order to successfully
use CSS. Moreover, students must realize they are learning a model, and must adopt the scientific method in
the formation and refinement of their models. For example, they must first read the specifications of how to
“float” a box of text on a page in order to have text “flow” around it. They should form a hypothesis, that if
they use the “float: left” property, they should expect the box to be aligned on the left side. They should then
perform an experiment by writing a small CSS program to test this hypothesis. If the box does not appear on
the left, then they have to check whether they used the property correctly (which means they have to check
the correctness of their mental model).
6. Course Assessment: Identify how this course will accomplish the above objectives (choose at least one).
✓ Participating in class discussion and debate
✓ Engaging in teamwork and other collaborative exercises
 Writing analytical or evaluative papers, perhaps incorporating original research
 Making oral presentations
✓ Creating an artistic product or a performance
 Participating in fieldwork
✓ Other means – please identify
problem solving – applying deductive reasoning to solve problems with websites / webpages that are not
displaying properly, and to develop, test, and debug javascript functions embedded in the webpages
lab activities involving development of websites
7. Attach a proposed syllabus, which includes a statement of purpose, course objectives, and how these
objectives will be accomplished.
See attached syllabus.
8. Please identify and explain if this course contributes to the Foundations of Liberal Learning expectations for:
 Oral Communication Literacy:
 Information Literacy:
Students are required to use the web as a resource for XHTML, CSS, javascript, etc. specifications (e.g.,
www.w3.org), and as a means of studying examples of well written, well designed, and well-programmed web
pages.
 Writing Literacy:
Students are required to write web pages as a major activity over the semester. Although each piece is not lengthy,
attention is still paid to grammar, spelling, and cohesion.
Students will write short essays in assignments, midterms, and the final.
9. Explain how this course connects to Vision 2010 – the CNU Strategic Plan
Priority I, Vital Curriculum
Goal B, Support learning that cultivates critical and innovative thinking
Three strategies are supported by this course: since the material involves technology, the knowledge covered is
constantly changing; constructing web pages using XHTML, CSS, and javascript/Perl is a form of programming,
which requires analytical and integrative thinking; multimedia web sites require a balance of computer science
and visual communication design – scholarship across disciplines.
Goal C, Foster independent student learning
Three strategies are supported by this course: developing multimedia web sites requires technical ability and a
creative attitude- students are fascinated by all things web and so are curious and motivated to learn and create;
once students know how to develop web sites, they realize there is always more to learn – “wow, how did you do
that?”; knowing how to create multimedia websites enables students to create and publish (on the web) what
amounts to their art – an elegant, well designed and user-engineered web site, beautiful to behold and use.
Priority II, A Culture of Student Learning and Engagement
Goal B, Promote personal initiative, integrity and responsibility for learning
Two strategies are addressed: the commitment to learning is supported by syllabus policies for attendance, student
responsibility, and submission due dates; reinforcement of the honor code is seen in the syllabus’s explicit
discussion of honor.
Goal C, Sustain and promote a climate of university-wide undergraduate and graduate intellectual engagement
Two strategies are addressed: interactive learning is supported by the use of hands-on activities; aesthetic
sensibilities across the disciplines are supported by the balanced nature of the course – computer science + visual
communication design.
Goal E, Create learning opportunities that expand individual potential
One strategy is addressed: preparing learned, disciplined and skilled graduates is supported by the capabilities
students will have upon completing this course, viz. the ability to create effective and attractive multimedia web
pages.
Submission Checklist:
By the deadline, submit a packet with the following documents to the Assistant Dean for Liberal Learning. Please
submit in electronic and hard copy form.
__✓__ Area of Inquiry Course Proposal Form
__✓__ Syllabus for the Course
_N/A_ Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Course Proposal Form
CPSC216: Multimedia & Web Publishing
Dr. Antonio C. Siochi
Associate Professor
siochi@pcs.cnu.edu
http://www.pcs.cnu.edu/~siochi
Gosnold 131, 757-594-7569
Catalog Data
Basic Multimedia concepts - graphics, audio, video;
internet concepts; design, development, and publishing
of web pages; elements of design, principles of design;
interactive web pages; publishing tools, server
management and tools. This course includes a hands-on
component.
Goals / Educational
Objectives
This course presents a balanced treatment of the creation
of multimedia web sites. From computer science you
will learn the technology of effective and efficient web
page development, and from visual communication
design, the art of creating visually appealing web pages.
In order to achieve this, you will learn about
programming techniques that make for effective and
efficient web development. You will also study
examples of websites to understand how they were built,
and how their visual design invites the viewer to linger,
and to clearly understand how to use the site.
From a pedagogical perspective, the essential goal of this
course is learning to apply course material to improve
thinking, and problem solving, and to learn to apply
course material. Other important goals are to learn
fundamental principles, organizations, and theories and
to develop specific skills, competencies and points of
view needed by professionals. In this course a student
will

learn and understand how to develop web pages
with multimedia content
Computer Usage
There will be 5-7 labs involving xhtml, css, javascript,
photoshop elements.
Laboratory Projects
(Portfolio)
This class has an intensive hands-on component. Students will
create and maintain an online portfolio of their web pages,
javascript programs, their digital images, and any audio/video
materials they create. This portfolio counts for one fourth of the
grade.
Topics (not necessarily
in order of coverage)

Networking fundamentals & HTTP

Basic network troubleshooting

HTML documents

Hypertext / links

Principles & Elements of Design

Basic Web Programming: Javascript, Perl

Color and images

Audio and Video

Image processing

learn how to do basic web programming (e.g.,
javascript)

Incorporating multimedia into web sites

learn how to work with images

Copyright and intellectual property concerns

learn design elements and principles, and apply
them to multimedia web pages

Introduction to Advanced Topics
Prerequisites by topic

computer use competency

familiarity with web browser
Text
An Introduction to Web Design and Programming, Paul Wang
& Sanda Katila. ISBN: 0-534-39528-7 © 2004.
From the publisher:
Combining viewpoints from a Department of Computer
Science (Paul Wang) and a School of Visual Communication
Design (Sanda Katila), this innovative book covers the design
and technology aspects of Web site development in an
integrated manner. The balanced perspective leads to an
understanding of the artistic design, visual communication,
information architecture, computer science, and programming
needed to begin mastering the Web. While focusing on the art
and technology of Web site creation, the authors emphasize
theoretical understanding and developmental techniques.
Grading
ITEM
FINAL
AVERAGE
WEIGHT
LETTER
GRADE
Portfolio
25%
90 - 100
A
Quizzes
10%
80 - 89
B
MidTerms
40%
70 - 79
C
Final
25%
60 - 69
D
0 - 59
F
Policies
Honor Code
On my honor, I will maintain the highest possible standards of honesty, integrity and personal responsibility.
That means I will not lie, cheat, or steal and as a member of this academic community,
I am committed to creating an environment of respect and mutual trust.
TAKE PRIDE IN THE WORK YOU DO!!! The Honor Code applies to this course and will be strictly enforced. All
work and tests must be done individually, although general discussion of assignments is allowed. Cheating on any
work product will result in a ZERO for that product, with the possibility of an "F" for the course, or the filing of a case in
an honor court. Please note that a violation of the honor code may result in dismissal from the university.
Attendance
You are expected to attend class regularly and on time. In any case, you are responsible for any and all material covered
in class. There will be NO make-up exams. Excused absences from the midterm tests will be assigned the equivalent
percentage achieved on the final exam. Unexcused absences will be handled similarly but with a 15% penalty. There are
no makeup quizzes.
Submission Due Dates
All work shall be submitted on or before the deadline. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Disabilities
Any student who believes that he or she is disabled should make an appointment to see me to discuss your needs. Inorder
to receive an accomodation, your disability must be on record in the Academic Advising Center, 1st Floor Administration
Building, phone: 594-8763.