Over just a couple of decades the world wide web has transformed global communications, commerce, and society at large. And almost all organizations have found that a strong online presence is an essential facet of success in today’s market, both for local reach and far beyond.
Essential tool for business
“Whether it’s connecting with their existing customers and partners, or reaching out to new ones, the public face of many organizations will be over the web,” explains Jeff Parker, who has been teaching the part time course COMP 1850: Introduction to Web Development at BCIT Computing for 19 years.
“If you have the ability to contribute to web infrastructure, you can be actively involved in shaping its future.”
“Intro to Web Development provides students who have no previous scripting experience the ability to design, implement, and publish basic websites,” says Jeff. “The course appeals to those who are looking to develop the technical skills to begin to realize their creative designs on the web.”
COMP 1850 Introduction to Web Development is delivered both on campus and online
Classroom aha moments
Jeff finds the technology classroom invigorating through the “aha moments” that regularly occur.
“When coding, challenges may appear: bugs, errors, or unexpected results occur,” he reports. “But with persistence or assistance from another, the solution eventually presents itself, and an invigorating snap occurs as things fall into place.”
“It’s something that typically delights everyone involved.”
He says it’s often the instructor, equipped with deeper experience, who helps guide toward the solution: Jeff’s classes are small and filled with hands-on exercises. But sometimes it’s the students learning from each other, or simply bringing a fresh perspective to a classmate’s problem.
“It turns out that not only is the learning that much fun, but so is the teaching. I especially enjoy seeing those enlightening snaps occur in class!”
Exciting possibilities
Jeff believes that most web developers love the creative design possibilities provided by HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, and points out that the latest versions of these three languages have greatly increased the developer’s palette of creative possibilities.
“Technological industries are ever-changing and evolving, but this is a cause for celebration!”
COMP 1850 has a digital badge and is the first step towards BCIT Computing Flexible Learning’s microcredential in Web Development Foundations (WDF)