Will this do it?

#1

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

#2

Frogleg wrote:

Quote:

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

A couple of points:

When you talk about "text documents" - to me a text document is anything in
plain text, but you seem to be talking about word processing.

I'd change:
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text documents?
to
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text?

Also:
8. Have you used Microsoft FrontPage or another WYSIWYG design application?

Please, please - if you were thinking of doing so, don't introduce people to
website design via frontpage!

#3

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Higson" <>
Newsgroups: alt.html
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 6:22 AM
Subject: Re: Will this do it?

Quote:

Frogleg wrote:

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

A couple of points:

When you talk about "text documents" - to me a text document is anything
in
plain text, but you seem to be talking about word processing.

I'd change:
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text documents?
to
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text?

Also:
8. Have you used Microsoft FrontPage or another WYSIWYG design
application?

Please, please - if you were thinking of doing so, don't introduce people
to
website design via frontpage!

Jim,
If your aware of the distinction between Word and text?

Than how can you NOT be aware of the difference between web pages created
from within Word and web pages created from within FrontPage?

There is a considerable difference of which FP's quality has been
erroneously attributed.

#4

lostinspace wrote:

Quote:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Higson"
Newsgroups: alt.html
Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 2004 6:22 AM
Subject: Re: Will this do it?

Frogleg wrote:

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

A couple of points:

When you talk about "text documents" - to me a text document is anything
in
plain text, but you seem to be talking about word processing.

I'd change:
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text documents?
to
Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text?

Also:
8. Have you used Microsoft FrontPage or another WYSIWYG design
application?

Please, please - if you were thinking of doing so, don't introduce people
to
website design via frontpage!

Jim,
If your aware of the distinction between Word and text?

Than how can you NOT be aware of the difference between web pages created
from within Word and web pages created from within FrontPage?

I think you misunderstand, my first point wasn't that web pages should be
created in Word (I never even mentioned Word!)

The question was:
2. Do you regularly use your computer to create and edit text documents?
No.
I write letters at home or type reports at work
I need and use many of the features of my word-processing program

From the 2nd and 3rd answers I guessed the questioner was talking about word
processing documents, not text documents.

#5

Thanks for the comments. Re: "text documents" -- yes, could be better
worded. What I mean is "can you create, store, retrieve, and edit
files?" Perhaps I should say just that, eh?

Re: PS, Mac or XX -- these will be home computer users. If they're
Unix wizards, they'll surely reveal that in the comment space. :-)

Re:FrontPage -- just trying to gauge general interest and vague
familiarity with the subject of "making a web page." I will NOT be
presenting it as an option.

Re: "power surfer" -- yes, I know it's horrible. Another suggestion?

#6

"Frogleg" <frogleg (AT) nowhere (DOT) com> wrote

Quote:

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

Here are my thoughts...

1) The quiz you have is pretty irrelevant unless you plan to filter your
students. IE: if you were a post secondary school this type of quiz might
work if you were going to pick which applicants you were going to let in the
course or not. Otherwise you have to go with the least common denominator
as far as knowledge goes (if EVERYBODY in the course has previously done a
website except 1, you either have to kick that 1 out or start at his/her
skill level)
Some of the questions you have might be best asked as group questions... ie:
"Show of hands... how many of you have already created a website and
published it to the internet?"
This way slower students would know who they might turn to for help if they
fall behind and you are not available.

2) If you want to test what they actually know... then what you should do is
devise your course and course material up first. Then write up what you
think would be a good final exam (something that somebody who paid attention
to everything in class should get 100% on) and then on the first day give
the students that as a quiz and see who got how much right (this is for your
reference, not for marks)
Some example questions might be:
- What would the following do <span style='font:black bold 5em'>Hello
World</span>?
- Which of the following is an example of a WYSIWYG (what you see is what
you get) editor?
- Which of the following is valid HTML
- etc

3) When you ask if they know what "domain name, hosting, FTP, bandwidth,
url, search engine, links" mean... most of this is irrelevant to teaching
HTML. You would be best off giving a little 15-20 minute lecture at the
start where you can cover relevant related topics and save some of the
things (like FTP and Search Engines) for the end of the course as a 'So you
made a website... now what do you do?' if you have time to cover this at the
end.

4) For the actual course itself you are best to start off with the basics of
HTML using a text editor and some VERY BASIC CSS (just for fonts, colors,
text size, bolding, itallics, justification, etc). This means pretty much
starting off with using a <span> or <div> and doing the "Hello World" thing.
Don't worry about going into things like CSS layouts and similar.

5) Unless the course is specifically about programs like Frontpage or
Dreamweaver, you should start them off using a text editor (like notepad or
editplus) and then work them up towards using a WYSIWYG editor. If you show
somebody how easy it is to walk with a crutch they might not bother to learn
how to walk without it. So best to start with hand coding and then later
teach them tools that might make the task easier.

6) As far as the overall content of the course goes: You might try buying
one of those "Learn HTML in 24 Hours" or "Learn how to build websites in ___
steps/hours". Most of them have a good step-by-step layout and a well
thought out progression (what to do first, what to do next, etc)

7) If you are prejudiced against certain aspects of web development (eg:
ASP, Microsoft, Frontpage, Internet Explorer) you are best to leave those at
the door.

#7

Frogleg wrote:

Quote:

I'm trying to determine what's needed for a 'build a web site' class I
may teach. I've made up a questionnaire for prospetive students. I
don't want people to take the questionnaire, just check it over and
see if you think I've covered the relevant material. TIA

http://home.earthlink.net/~absolutelyfake/question.htm

"Are you experienced with Windows or the Mac OS?" What about other
operating systems?

#8

"Leif K-Brooks" <eurleif (AT) ecritters (DOT) biz> wrote

Quote:

"Are you experienced with Windows or the Mac OS?" What about other
operating systems?

This goes to one of the points I was trying to make in my posting... who
cares what operating system they know or don't know? HTML is meant to be
cross platform compatible (for the most part) and so if you have one guy who
is a whiz with Windows sitting next to a Mac user it won't matter because
when they go back to their computers to work they'll work with whatever
operating system they are familiar with and prefer.

#9

Frogleg wrote:

Quote:

Re: PS, Mac or XX -- these will be home computer users. If they're
Unix wizards, they'll surely reveal that in the comment space. :-)

One doesn't have to be a "Unix wizard" to use an operating system
besides Mac OS or Windows. Today's Unix GUIs are at least as friendly as
Windows, and there are definitely plenty of home users out there.

#10

On Thu, 09 Sep 2004 02:09:20 -0400, Leif K-Brooks
<eurleif (AT) ecritters (DOT) biz> declared in alt.html:

Quote:

One doesn't have to be a "Unix wizard" to use an operating system
besides Mac OS or Windows. Today's Unix GUIs are at least as friendly as
Windows, and there are definitely plenty of home users out there.

While I agree that the options given aren't adequate (if necessary at
all), surely most people who can use *nix can also use Windows?

--
Mark Parnell
http://www.clarkecomputers.com.au
"Never drink rum&coke whilst reading usenet" - rf 2004