This document is an introduction to the creation of course web pages at Rice.

This document covers both what to think about before building a course web page and the mechanics of how to build a course web page, including a course page template. A list of places to look for more information can be found at the end of the document.

See also the tutorial on using Dreamweaver to build a course web page in 90 minutes.

Before you begin

• What information do you want to include?
  Consider including some or all of the items below for a more complete and useful course web page.
  • Complete title of the course (and section if applicable)
  • Semester to which the information in your web page applies
  • Introduction, brief overview of course
  • Your contact info, TA or labby contact info
  • Course syllabus
  • Announcements
  • Homework and reading assignments, solutions
  • Test information, solutions
  • Requirements and grading
  • Textbook information, and other suggested materials or extra resources
  • Class directory/roster
  • Links to other important web pages, such as other course pages, the departmental page, the course newsgroup, or other helpful pages related to course material

  An example of a simple yet functional course web page is the course page template below.

  Of course, a web page can be much more than an online syllabus. If it includes research materials and tools, it can become an extension of the laboratory or the library. And if it incorporates students' own web projects, it can become a collaborative learning environment. For examples of course web pages which go beyond the syllabus model, see HIST 321 (http://es.rice.edu/~helden/hist321.html) and the associated Galileo Project (http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo), as well as the student projects of HIST 269 (http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hist269/).

• Style
  Careful thought about World-Wide Web style can be the difference between an effective course page and an ineffective one. See the RiceInfo WWW Style Guide (http://www.rice.edu/web/style.html) for helpful tips and recommended style.

• Copyright
  Like it or not, anyone who places images or text excerpts online needs to be aware of copyright issues. See the copyright primer (http://www.rice.edu/about/copyright.html) for an introduction.

How to create a course web page

1. Decide what semesters and sections your web page will apply to
   It is important that your web page clearly identify the semester and sections to which it applies so it will not confuse students from other sections or later semesters.

   If your section is one of several, you and your co-instructors should begin by agreeing on a central page in a stable location which will list all of the sections and include links to those which have their own web pages. This central page is the one which will be listed with other course web pages in RiceInfo. A simple example of such a page listing multiple sections is the one for ENGL 101 (http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~engl101/).

2. Decide where to put the page
   A good place to put the course page is in a course account on Owlnet. You are welcome to put your course web page under your personal account or under a departmental web page if you find that more convenient, but using an Owlnet course account assures your web page a stable location and also facilitates collaboration if several people need to work on the page together or in succession. Note that this document is written as if you will use an Owlnet course account.

3. Decide who will work on the course web page
   You, the faculty member or staff instructor teaching the course, will be the "owner" of the course account and responsible for the account password (this does not have to be the person who does the hands-on web construction). Other individuals of your choosing may share the ability to edit the course web pages by being members of a Unix "group" of the same name as the course account. You need to identify these people at the outset, although you can change the membership of the group at any time by sending e-mail to problem@rice.edu.

4. Apply for your individual Owlnet account(s)
   Owlnet is the primary network for undergraduate education at Rice. The "owner" of your course web page as well as each user who is going to work on it must first have their own Owlnet accounts. If you don't have an account, you can get one by directing your web browser to the location http://apply.rice.edu and going through the application procedure there. Your account should be created within two working days after you apply.

5. Apply for an Owlnet course account
   The "owner" should then apply for a course account by sending the following information to problem@rice.edu:

      Please create a course account on Owlnet as follows.
   
      Title and number of course:
      Course account userid desired:
      Account owner (name and userid):
      Other userids to put in associated Unix group:
      Account from which to copy initial password (Owlnet or RUF):
      Additional instructions if any (special handling of e-mail, etc.):
   

   (Note that an online course account application procedure is planned for http://apply.rice.edu, but as of this writing it is not yet working.)

6. Create the directory where your course page will live
   This is one of the few steps that must be done by the owner of the course account.
   • Log in to the course account on Owlnet. (If this is the first time the account has been used, remember to change the password by typing passwd.)
   • Type the following commands to create the directory and make it writable by the user group:

         cd
         mkdir public_html
         chmod g+w public_html
     

7. Create the course web files themselves
   Now comes the core of the task: creating the world-wide web pages themselves under the public_html directory of the course account. If your course account was created with the name blah999, then that directory will be:

       /home/blah999/public_html
   

   Your main web page will be the file in that directory called index.html. The corresponding location on the World-Wide Web (also known as your page's URL) will be:

       http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~blah999/
   

   Your documents themselves should mostly be in the format known as HyperText Markup Language or HTML. There are two basic ways to edit your HTML documents:

   • Use a text editor to edit your HTML files directly.
     You can log into the course account and use your favorite Unix text editor (pico, vi, emacs, etc.) to edit your course HTML files. For example, to open your HTML file in the pico editor, type the commands:

         cd /home/blah999/public_html
         pico index.html
     

     A good introduction to HTML can be found in the Beginner's Guide to HTML (http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html) as well as in other references listed in the World-Wide Web documentation in RiceInfo (http://www.rice.edu/about/index.html#WWW).

     You can also learn HTML by examining the HTML behind other people's web pages. Most WWW browsers will let you view the HTML source for any WWW document. Look for a choice like "View Source" in a "File" or "View" pull-down menu, or in lynx use the "\" command.

     - or -

   • Use an HTML editor.
     Some people find it easier to use an HTML editor than to learn the nitty-gritty of HTML themselves. An HTML editor runs on your desktop computer and offers a graphical user interface much like a familiar word processor. The copy of a new or existing web document is stored on your desktop computer while you are editing it; when you are finished you must instruct the HTML editor to upload it to the course account on Owlnet using FTP. Carry out this upload step by specifying your course account name and password together with the location of the file in the course account, for example:

         /home/blah999/public_html/index.html
     

     A list of HTML editors in use at Rice is available in the RiceInfo WWW documentation (http://www.rice.edu/about/index.html#webedit).

8. Review your web page
   Now is a good time to exert quality control over your course web page. Have you included the appropriate information (see "before you begin" above)? Do your graphics and layout enhance the clarity of your web page? Have you followed the recommendations of the RiceInfo WWW Style Guide (http://www.rice.edu/web/style.html)?

9. Announce your web page
   Send e-mail to cts@rice.edu announcing your page when it is ready so it can be listed with other Rice course web pages (http://www.rice.edu/academic/courseweb.html). Include the URL of your page and the number and title of your course.

The Course Page Template

Homework: 30%
Exam 1: 20%
Exam 2:	20%
Final Exam: 30%

For more information

Course web pages in 90 minutes with Dreamweaver (tutorial)

http://cts.rice.edu/tutorials/90min_cwp

World Wide Web documentation

http://www.rice.edu/about/index.html#WWW

A Beginner's Guide to HTML

http://www.ncsa.uiuc.edu/General/Internet/WWW/HTMLPrimer.html

Existing course web pages at Rice

http://www.rice.edu/academic/courseweb.html

Sample Course Web Pages:

ELEC 326

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~elec326

HART 205

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hart205/

HIST 321

http://es.rice.edu/~helden/hist321.html

HIST 269

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~hist269/