New Application: Web Development Online

New Applications introduces students to the rapidly evolving world of apps, or applications. The introduction of the Apple II in 1977 followed by the IBM PC and scores of compatible computers just four years later created strong consumer demand for software programs, as these applications were referred to at the time. Capable of formatting spreadsheets, composing and proofing hundreds of lines of text, or supporting classroom instruction, computer programs were initially sold by specialty stores, college bookstores, or through the mail. The explosive growth of the Internet that followed at the beginning of the twenty-first century with the introduction of high-speed networking, the dynamic World Wide Web, and most recently the development of affordable smartphones and web tablets have all contributed to global, cultural, and societal change.This course begins with a historical tour of the Internet and World Wide Web as well as the programs and applications that made it possible for computer users on every continent to begin to explore and better understand their world. Then, through a step-by-step introduction to WordPress, students gain the tools and insight necessary to create their own web pages and discover their online voice.

In addition to learning how to use WordPress and other applications that promote students’ presence on the World Wide Web, this course discusses how the web has become the foremost channel for the distribution of applications that increase the functionality of the web and support a global hub of social networking and communication. Students are introduced to the evolution of networking and data-transfer capabilities beginning with early HTTP protocols continuing through to the introduction of smartphones.