Syllabus for SSE 698

Professional Seminar - Web Development

Changes Are Possible.

Summer Semester 2009 (09U)

(Also planned for Summer Semester 2010 (10U))

revised May 31, 2009 10:06 AM Eastern Time

Instructor: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil

Office:       Suite 223a, School of Engineering

Phone:       478-301-2185

                  478-301-2732

Email:        macneil_pe@mercer.edu

Textbooks and Supplies:

Texts (including web sites):

• Java EE 5 Development with NetBeans (1st ed), by David R. Heffelfinger, Packt Publishing, ISBN 978-1-847195-46-3 (2008) (Required for the Low level design option with Java EE 5) Check Out This Text
• Beginning ASP.NET 3.5 in C# and VB (1st ed), by Imar Spaanjaars, Wrox, ISBN 978-0-470-18759-3 (2008) Check Out This Text (Required for the Low-level design option with ASP.NET)
• Web Engineering: A Practitioner's Approach (1st ed), by Pressman, Roger S. and Lowe, David, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 9780073523293 (2009) (Required for the High level design option) Check Out This Text
• You should select your own information sources (book[s] and/or web tutorials) for the PHP/CMS option. (Required for the PHP/CMS design option)

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Software (including web sites):

• An Internet ftp client of your choice.  Core FTP LE is free and works well http://www.coreftp.com/ .  (Required, but your choice)
• An appropriate development environment. Look around for one that pleases you, but please read the following:
  • For ASP.NET, Microsoft Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition could be seriously considered.
  • For Java EE 5, NetBeans should be very seriously considered, as the text depends heavily on NetBeans. Make sure to get an appropriate edition (one with Java EE 5)!
  • For the PHP/CMS option, you will need a Content Management System (CMS). Please choose Joomla! or Drupal.

Other Useful Resources (including web sites):

• PHP/CMS Option: A PHP tutorial such as PHP Learning Trail - NetBeans IDE Tutorials, Guides and Articles
• TBD.

Catalog Description (Course Purpose):

This course addresses the the development of web software, including both specific application frameworks (such as Enterprise Java [Java EE 5] or ASP.NET) and higher level web engineering. Because of the extensive material included in web development, this course may be repeated for credit with the permission of the SSE Graduate Chair.

This course will be conducted as a regular SSE course, the same as all other SSE courses, with three internet application projects due, except that students will be assigned additional responsibilities in exploring and defining the technologies to be used. This assignment will be at the beginning of the course.

This course follows an aggressive schedule, and should be taken only by people who are prepared for an aggressive schedule where they are expected to define their own plan of study very early.

Please note that this course is conducted *asynchronously* with regard to the face-to-face class meeting schedule. That is, the course begins on May 26, 2009, for *all* students.

Course Objectives:

Breadth and Depth in Defining, Analyzing, and Solving Complex Problems:

• After successfully completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate a basic capability to apply the techniques of the Web Development option you selected to solve complex problems.

Communicate Technical Aspects of the Solution for Complex Software Engineering Problems to a Technical Audience:

• After successfully completing this course, you should be able to demonstrate a basic ability to communicate regarding the techniques of the Web Development option you selected to a technical audience.

Prerequisites:

SSE 550 or permission of the program director.

If you choose the Low-level design option in ASP.NET, you must already be proficient in .NET programming(for example, in C#).

If you choose the Low-level design option in Java EE 5, you must already be proficient in JAVA SE (Standard Edition) programming.

If you choose the High-level design option in either Java EE 5 or ASP.NET, you must already be proficient in Java EE 5 or ASP.NET programming, respectively.

If you choose the PHP/CMS option, you must already be proficient in Object-Oriented Programming at the SSE 550 level.

Class Location:

• The Distance Learning _asynchronous_ "meetings" take place in Cyberspace; i.e., on the Internet, via listserv and ftp.
• Two face-to-face meetings are scheduled to take place in the Engineering Building Room 216b. (Directions to the Macon campus, and a map of the Macon campus can be found at  http://www2.mercer.edu/Admissions/macon.html and  http://www2.mercer.edu/About_Mercer/MaconMap/default.htm [look for Building 34 on the map], respectively.) Attendance at these meetings is 100% optional.

Grading:

Credit will be given only for original work.

More information about grading is contained in the General Project Rubric.

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Assignments:

• Purpose of projects:
• Use the projects to develop your capabilities, and
• Use the projects to demonstrate your capabilities.
• Deliverables for all projects:
• Your report should be a single, standalone document in .html, .pdf, or .doc format.
• Your report should be organized in such a way as to make the topics that you want credit for covering easy to find, and demonstrate your capabilities clearly and convincingly. Everything you want considered for credit, including code and tests (including test results), should be included in the report.
• Screen shots may be included in your document to clarify and demonstrate what you did and what the results were.
• Each project can be a single, integrated project that tries to actually do something, or a collection of exercises that demonstrate your capabilities but don't accomplish anything else, or any combination of these two alternatives that you find convenient.
• You may include other material outside of the report, if you wish, but this material may or may not be considered in evaluating your work.
• For each capability that you demonstrate within a report or major section of that report, you may present only the final result of your work; you need not demonstrate every step in the development of that result.
• Some suggestions for doing a project are contained in the One Way to Do a Project page.
• There are four paths through this course:
• Low-level design: choose one of Java EE 5 or ASP.NET, and develop and document your capabilities in design and development with this technology.
• High-level design: If (and only if!) you are already competent with Java EE 5 or ASP.NET, focus on high-level web application design issues, such as those covered in the required text.
• PHP and CMS design: Teach yourself the PHP scripting language, and learn to design and use the capabilities of a PHP-based Content Management System such as JOOMLA! or Drupal.
• Custom: You can design your own path, but your design must be written, detailed, and approved by the professor prior to the start of the course. Your path must be focussed on web application development. Read the required text. If you do not already possess some knowledge of web application development, you should avoid this path.
• Project 1(Solo)
• Define and document your plan of study, development, and documentation in detail. Due one week after the beginning of the course. May be submitted early. Include a specification of your two remaining deliverables. (I.e., what will you deliver for Project 2 and Project 3?) Get this plan approved by your professor. Be realistic in your planning. You may submit this project early, so that you can get approval for your plan, and a head start on Projects 2 and 3. The bottom line for this project is to have a plan that will enable you to complete this course successfully.
• Project 2 (Solo or Team, your choice)
• Project 2 deliverable as defined in your approved plan submitted for Project 1. Due three weeks after the beginning of the course.
  • If you do this project as a team project, each team member must separately, independently, and privately communicate to the professor his/her estimate of the percentage of the work done by each team member.
• Project 3 (Solo or Team, your choice)
• Project 3 deliverable as defined in your approved plan submitted for Project 1. Due five weeks after the beginning of the course.
  • If you do this project as a team project, each team member must separately, independently, and privately communicate to the professor his/her estimate of the percentage of the work done by each team member.
• TBD

Additional Information:

• Asynchronous Learning Nets (ALNs)
• Self Study: You study the texts and any other course study material on your own.
• Collaborative Projects: After your self-study, you collaborate (via the Internet [email, ftp]) with your partner(s) to produce a team product. Your collaborative work is substantial, asynchronous, and rapid.
• This course is a distance learning course with 100% optional face-to-face class meetings Please read this Distance Learning web page regarding distance learning in this course and this program.

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• Subscribe to the course email listserv and be able to access our FTP server; your professor can tell you how to do this.
• Study the assigned material.
• Write and read email messages about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned study material.
• Write and read email messages (to/from the listserv) about ideas, problems and solutions to do with the assigned work.
• Review the work done by other people, as assigned by the professor.

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Changes to this Syllabus:

There will be changes to this syllabus, so check back frequently, and don't forget to hit "Reload" or "Refresh".

Schedule of Events and Assignments:

Notes:

tbd

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Schedule of Macon Face-to-face Class Meetings:

attendance is 100% optional.

All Macon face-to-face meetings are from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

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List of all courses.

Contact Information

• My Name: Dr. Paul E. MacNeil (Atlanta, Macon and DL Section)
• My E-mail: macneil_pe@mercer.edu .
• My Office Phone: 478 301-2185
• My FAX: 478 301-2732
• US Mail:
 
• Dr. Paul E. MacNeil
• School of Engineering
• Mercer University
• 1400 Coleman Ave.
• Macon, GA 31207

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Important Additional Information:
Students requiring accommodations for a disability should inform the instructor at the close of the first class meeting or as soon as possible.  If you are not registered with Disability Services, the instructor will refer you to the Disability Support Services office for consultation regarding documentation of your disability and eligibility for accommodations under the ADA/504.  In order to receive accommodations, eligible students must provide each instructor with a “Faculty Accommodation Form” from Disability Services.  Students must return the completed and signed form to the Disability Services Coordinator on the 3rd floor of the Connell Student Center.  Students with a documented disability who do not wish to use academic accommodations are also strongly encouraged to register with Disability Services and complete a Faculty Accommodation Form each semester.  For further information, please contact Carole Burrowbridge, Disability Services Coordinator, at 301-2778 or visit the web site at http://www.mercer.edu/stu_support/swd.htm

Accreditation: Mercer University is accredited by SACS.