Credit Hours: 3 credits
Meetings: Thursdays, 5:10pm-7:40pm, Online
Prerequisites: LSC555 prerequisite, or instructor’s permission (prior experience with HTML is required)
Office: CSL 422A
Phone: 202-319-6277
Email: syn [at] cua [dot] edu
Office Hour: by appointment
Information professionals encounter a variety of data in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). From finding aids to APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), metadata, catalogs, and social media archives, these textual data formats have become commonplace. This course will teach students to manage, interpret, and display XML and JSON using JavaScript. Students will learn how to query and serve structured data on the web through in-class presentations, workshops, and student projects. The course will have an emphasis on practical uses of web-based data in information settings through demonstrations and examinations of case studies.
This course is designed to:
Introduce structured text formats, including XML and JSON
Introduce JavaScript
Teach students how to process XML and JSON with JavaScript, XSLT, XPath, and XQuery
Introduce students to use-case scenarios of APIs in library settings
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
Understand structured text formats and their use
Query and process structured text formats and serve results locally and on web applications
Have basic experience writing web scripts in JavaScript
Read and understand API documentation
Understand the advantages of using APIs and structured data in a variety of library settings
Apply computational thinking to using programming languages and APIs in library scenarios
Required Textbooks:
Haverbeke, M. (2018). Eloquent JavaScript: A Modern Introduction to Programming. 3rd Ed. No Starch Press. (ISBN: 978-1593279509)
Recommended materials:
Additional readings are assigned as necessary for each week’s lecture topic. The readings can be found from CUA Libraries.
The following capabilities are required for course delivery:
This course communication will be mainly done through the Blackboard. Make sure you are familiar with Blackboard features.
For course preparation, you need to be able for find assigned reading articles from the university library catalog system. Make sure you know how to search and find articles and books from library system and databases.
For our in-class assignments, demonstrations, and projects, students are encouraged to use an advanced text editor such as Visual Studio Code or Adobe Dreamweaver.
The following technologies are taught as essential parts of this course:
JavaScript, XML, XPath, XSLT, APIs, and other tools
Each assignment contributes to your final grade. All assignments are individual exercises (no group work). Follow the Class Policies or Instructions of each assignment for submissions. The submission dates are strictly applied. Detailed description of each assignment will be provided when the assignments are given.
Assignment 1: Research Essay and Presentation (15%)
Assignment 2: JavaScript Exercise (20%)
Assignment 3: API presentation (10%)
Students will write, build, and present their own web application using JavaScript to query an API of their choice.
The class participation includes class attendance, class discussion participation, and completion of class activities such as exercises. Each week’s class participation adds up and as a total, it will contribute 20% of your final grade.
All assignments must be submitted by 11:59 pm on the day they are due, unless otherwise noted.
Late submissions: If the assignment is submitted late, your grade will be reduced by 10%. Each day it is late thereafter you will lose an additional 5% point (e.g., submitting one day late would reduce your grade by 15%). You need to make a prior arrangement with the instructor if any cause of delayed submission is expected with legitimate reasons. The last submissions may not be graded until the end of the term.
Makeup work: If a student has a legitimate reason, such as a medical or family emergency, the instructor may allow a student to do makeup work. The amount and nature of the work is up to the instructor's discretion. It will be graded at term's end. Documentation of the emergency (e.g. a doctor's letter) may be required.
The individual contributions of course requirements are as below.
Assignments: 45%
Final Project: 35%
Class Participation: 20%
Final grades will be assigned as follows:
A: 94-100
A-: 90-93.99
B+: 86-89.99
B: 82-85.99
B-: 78-81.99
C: 70-77.99
F: Below 70
The University grading system is available at http://policies.cua.edu/academicgrad//gradesfull.cfm#iii for graduate students. Reports of grades in courses are available at the end of each term on http://cardinalstation.cua.edu.
All members of the Catholic University community have a shared responsibility to know and to abide by the University’s policies, especially relating to: Academic Integrity Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Attendance Conduct Final Exams Grades and appeals All of Catholic University’s policies are detailed at https://policies.catholic.edu/index.html. Please follow up with the instructor if you have any policy-related questions. Of particular note are the policies regarding Academic Integrity, Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, and Final Exams, which are described below.
Academic dishonesty at The Catholic University of America is not tolerated (https://policies.catholic.edu/students/academicundergrad/integrityfull.html and https://policies.catholic.edu/students/academicundergrad/integrityprocedures.html)
As such, academic integrity is not merely avoiding plagiarism or cheating, but it certainly includes those things. Academic integrity means, above all else, taking responsibility for your work, your ideas, and your effort, and giving credit to others for their work, ideas, and effort. If you submit work that is not your own – whether test answers, whole papers, or something in-between – that is considered to be academic dishonesty. University procedures related to academic dishonesty are conducted with respect and dignity, while also preserving accountability, and they presuppose that all participants will treat each other with respect and dignity.
The following sanctions are presented in the University procedures related to Student Academic Dishonesty:
“The presumed sanction for undergraduate students for academic dishonesty will be failure for the course. In the context of graduate studies, the expectations for academic honesty are greater, and therefore the presumed sanction for dishonesty is likely to be more severe, e.g., expulsion. ...In the more unusual case, mitigating circumstances may exist that would warrant a lesser sanction than the presumed sanction.”
At times, you may do group work for an in-class presentation or group project. For that specific assignment, you are allowed to share material, ideas and information; however, for any related work that is to be submitted on an individual basis, your submission is expected to be your own in its entirety. If there is no group work in the class you should not collaborate with classmates on work that is to be submitted for an individual grade.
For more information about what academic integrity means at CUA, including your responsibilities and rights, visit https://integrity.catholic.edu/index.html.
Any student who feels s/he may need a reasonable accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Disability Support Services (https://dss.catholic.edu/index.html) by email at CUA-DSS@cua.edu or call 202-319-5211 to make an appointment to discuss possible accommodations. DSS recommends that a student with a disability meet with DSS staff during the first week of every semester since accommodations are not retroactive. Please note that instructors will only provide those accommodations included in the DSS accommodation letter. DSS is located in PRYZ 127.
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