Course description
The WEBM@ESTRO™ Advanced Website Design distance learning course is a fully supported, self-paced training programme for those wishing to take up a new career as a Web programmer or those who simply wish to be able to build advanced commercial-quality websites.
Please Note: This course assumes that the student has a pre-existing knowledge of HTML/XHTML or has successfully completed our best-selling Webstart Course.
The WEBM@ESTRO™ training programme has been designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of JavaScript (an object-based, event-driven Web programming language), which tightly integrates with HTML. You will also learn about Dynamic HTML and Cascading Style Sheets, which removes many of the constraints that have previously limited the web author's creativity and provides a whole new way to make web pages more interesting for the visitor.
Students are taken step-by-step through the lessons using innovative, interactive, multi-media computer-based training techniques, supported by highly-trained technical support specialists. The course is self-paced with no time pressure for completion; the student simply studies at home or at work when time permits.
The course consists of 10 individual lessons, which are designed to gradually build up and strengthen your technical knowledge base. Throughout the lessons, interactive exercises have been specially designed to support the student’s learning effort, and multiple-choice quizzes at the end of each lesson serve to ensure a thorough understanding of the course content.
During the training programme, the student is guided through the design and development of a fully-functional website incorporating HTML, JavaScript and Dynamic HTML, and students are encouraged to use their own creativity throughout.
The course consists of the following lessons:
Induction: Introduction to WEBM@ESTRO™
The following topics are covered by this lesson: Getting Started; Health and Safety considerations; Course content lesson-by-lesson and training tips; Navigating through the training programme; Technical support help desk; and Qualifications explained.
Lesson 1: An Introduction to JavaScript
This lesson provides you with a background to JavaScript and general programming techniques. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to write your own basic scripts that incorporate event handlers. The following topics are covered in this lesson: A background to JavaScript; An overview to JavaScript; Creating your first script; An introduction to event handlers; Using browsers and compatibility problems; Programming tips; and Assignment 1: Using event handlers.
Lesson 2: JavaScript Programming Basics
During this lesson, you will become familiar with the construction of JavaScript components, such as variables, operators and statements. The lesson extends to looking at storing and using data for calculations and basic string manipulation, and provides the fundamentals of JavaScript which will be built upon throughout the remainder of the course. The following topics are covered in this lesson: Using variables, operators, strings (concatenating strings); statements; Using numerical data for basic calculations; Using Strings; An introduction to functions; Storing data using Arrays; and Assignment 2: Exercises based on theory discussed.
Lesson 3: Decision-Making Using JavaScript
This lesson builds upon Lesson 2, in which the student will focus on using logic and decision-making to make certain events happen; the student will be introduced to such techniques. The following topics are included: An introduction to decision making; Using looping statements; An overview of common mistakes and errors; and Assignment 3: Exercises using looping statements.
Lesson 4: JavaScript as an Object-Oriented Language
In this lesson you will combine all of the previously discussed issues to create and utilise objects. You will have already used a number of JavaScript objects; however, in this lesson we look at JavaScript's built-in objects. The following topics are covered by this lesson: An introduction to JavaScript objects; Creating & using JavaScript objects; JavaScript built-In objects, properties and methods (the string object, the array object, the math object and the date and time object); and Assignment 4: Building a calculator.
Lesson 5: Using JavaScript within your Website
Now that you have looked at JavaScript as an object-based programming language, you can incorporate the theory learnt so far, to develop some truly JavaScript dependent web pages. We have seen that JavaScript is an object-based language, with its own built-in objects; however, the browser is also made up of objects. The following topics are covered: The document object model; Window and document objects; Form objects; Working with windows and frames; and Assignment 5: The Health insurance questionnaire.
Lesson 6: Using Cookies to Store Information
To support the concept of using JavaScript to enhance websites and user interactivity, this lesson introduces you to cookies, which refer to the information a web server gives to your browser when first accessed and then shared on each return visit. The following topics are covered: A background to cookies; Creating and reading cookies; Using cookies for specific applications; and Assignment 6: Create an own on-line store using cookies.
Lesson 7: Adding Style to your Web Pages
Early implementation of the HTML/XHTML specifications have been significantly extended to allow today's new breed of web designers to become more creative in their use of HTML. This lesson demonstrates how you can use standard HTML/XHTML tags to implement stunning special effects without the need for complicated scripting or programming. The following topics are covered by this lesson: Background to Cascading Style Sheets; How Cascading Style Sheets work; Implementing Style Sheets; and Assignment 7 –Adding special effects to your pages.
Lesson 8: Dynamic HTML
In this lesson, we will be looking at the concept of DHTML, a technique to enable designers to create interactive web pages that can be dynamically changed in real time. The following topics are covered by this lesson: How DHTML works; Implementing DHTML; and Assignment 8: Creating drag and drop elements.
Lesson 9: Building Data Aware Websites
In this lesson, we will be looking at the technology used to incorporate external applications into our web pages, for example, textual data, sound and visual imagery. The lesson covers the following topics: Microsoft 's ActiveX technology explained; Incorporating textual data into your web pages using notepad; Incorporating audio into your web pages; Incorporating animation into your web page; and Assignment 9: Building a data-aware application.
Lesson 10: Final Course Assignment
This final lesson will bring together all the information and techniques discussed throughout the course as well as offering tutorials on using Dreamweaver CS3; Paint Shop Pro; Uploading your website; and Search engine submission. Assignment 10: Design your own fully-functional website.
The WEBM@ESTRO™ course comes with a comprehensive software Library, which includes trial/freeware versions of the following software: Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks & PhotoShop CS3, Paint Shop Pro, Gif Construction Set, MapEdit, WinZip 11, Shop Factory Pro, Cute FTP and Colour Picker 1.9.
On completion of the course you will receive our own certification and feedback as well as the Nationally Recognised NOCN Level 3 Diploma in Website Design & Construction. The Qualification is based upon your coursework so there are no external examinations. This qualification is equivalent to an NVQ Level 3 or A Level and consists of 9 credits which can be used to access higher education qualifications.
