Course Title: Customise a complex ICT content management system
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2017
Course Code: COSC7368C
Course Title: Customise a complex ICT content management system
School: 650T Vocational Business Education
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5341 - Diploma of Information Technology
Course Contact: Val Christou
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5076
Course Contact Email: val.christou@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Paul Lewis +61 3 9925 1615 paul.lewis@rmit.edu.au
Chandra Nannegari +61 3 9925 1657 chandra.nannegari@rmit.edu.au
Nominal Hours: 80
Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Pre-requisites and Co-requisites
None
Course Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to create, and customise, an information and communications technology (ICT) content management system (CMS) powered website using an open source, to meet client requirements.
It applies to individuals working as web developers who have a detailed knowledge of markup languages and their associated standards, and are proficient in server-side language and security techniques. Individuals in this role also have high-level understanding of server functionality.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
ICTWEB507 Customise a complex ICT content management system |
Element: |
1. Analyse the specifications and requirements |
Performance Criteria: |
1.1 Determine the required functionality of the website, as per the client requirements |
Element: |
2. Develop customisation |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Plan and outline, the requirements of the additional functionality |
Element: |
3. Create a CMS powered website |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Install and configure, the chosen content management system |
Element: |
4. Validate and evaluate |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 Validate final website markup against the current website standards |
Learning Outcomes
Details of Learning Activities
A range of learning activities are planned for this course including self-paced and collaborative classroom based activities.
Learning activities will include laboratory-based sessions on a variety of topics as shown in the weekly breakdown. Learning activities will generally consist of practical computer exercises based on teacher handouts. You should attend all sessions.
You will also be expected to undertake work on a small IT project and other activities for homework.
The collaborative classroom based activities will include group discussion, group problem solving activities and opportunities to practice your skills in a simulated/real workplace environment.
We expect you to participate and contribute in all scheduled learning activities.
Teaching Schedule
The Teaching Schedule for this course is as follows:
Induction Session
Prior to training commencement a program level induction session will be conducted that comprises the following:
- Program overview and requirements
- MyRMIT/Blackboard
- Overview of assessment requirements
- Pre-Training Review including:
- Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfers
- Assessment of current skills and knowledge
- Competency/Grading Criteria
- Plagiarism
- Appeals
- Extensions
- Feedback
- Privacy
- Submission requirements
- Re-submission policy
- Where to get support
- Student responsibilities
The nominal hours associated with this are a guide only and represent the total teaching time and student effort required to successfully complete the course. This may include not only scheduled classes but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.
Week |
Week Commencing |
Topics |
Assessment |
1 |
6th Feb 2017 |
Overview of the course including: • Course support documents • Course Blackboard access • Accuracy of enrolment • Assessment requirements/Cover Sheets • Reminder re Plagiarism • Reminder re Appeals • Extensions/Re-submissions • Feedback in this courser • Reminder re-submission requirements • Getting help Introduction to CMS Websites: |
|
2 |
13th Feb 2017 |
The Dashboard. Adding Posts & plugins. Categories & tags. Adding users & comments. Creating a simple theme & plugin |
|
3 |
20th Feb 2017 |
Adding new Pages. Page templates, sidebars & widgets. Adding plugins. Managing images, gallery plugins & videos |
ASSESSMENT 1 - Project Specifications issued |
4 |
27th Feb 2017 |
Managing themes. FTP accounts & simple child themes. Managing menus & sub-menu items. Reading settings. Tables |
|
5 |
6th Mar 2017 |
Creating a new page template using PHP & CSS. Adding widgets, Google maps, contact forms & Captcha |
|
6 |
13th Mar 2017 |
Managing videos. Adding image sliders. Permalinks. Introduction to SEO. Database & content backups |
|
7 |
20th Mar 2017 |
Introduction to WooCommerce, including settings & products. Validation against client requirements |
ASSESSMENT 1 - Preliminary Website Demonstration/ Feedback |
8 |
27th Mar 2017 |
Optimising pages using Yoast SEO. Selecting themes. Responsive & WooCommerce-friendly themes. Testing in browsers & on devices |
|
9 |
3rd April 2017 |
Customize options. Using Inspect in Chrome & Yellow Pencil. Final work on customisations & documentation for travel site |
ASSESSMENT 2 - Project Specifications issued |
10a |
10th April 2017 |
Fresh installation of WordPress. Client requirements for business coaching Website project. Customising themes. Validating themes |
ASSESSMENT 1 - Final Website Completion (end of week) |
MID-SEMESTER BREAK (Thu 13th Apr to Wed 19thApr 2017 inclusive) | |||
10b |
17th April 2017 |
Fresh installation of WordPress. Client requirements for business coaching Website project. Customising themes. Validating themes |
ASSESSMENT 1 - Final Website Completion (end of week) |
11 |
24th Apr 2017 Holiday 25th Apr |
Processing images with Photoshop or similar. Analysis of key plugins for to achieve functionalities required for business coaching Website. Class work on project |
|
12 |
1st May 2017 |
Testing key plugins required eg. form, image gallery, subscription & membership plugins. Class work on project. |
ASSESSMENT 2 - Preliminary Website Demonstration / Feedback |
13 |
8th May 2017 |
Other useful plugins eg. migration, analytics & caching plugins. Class work on project |
|
14 |
15th May 2017 |
Final class work on business coaching Website project. Validation against client requirements. Testing in browsers & on devices |
ASSESSMENT 2 - Final Website Completion (end of week) |
15 |
22nd May 2017 |
Project demonstrations (to visiting IT staff & clients in class). Final class work on documentation for business coaching Website |
ASSESSMENT 2 - Final Website Documentation due (end of week) |
16 |
29th May 2017 |
Course & assessment feedback. Re-assessment if required |
You will receive feedback two weeks from the due date of each assessment. If required, re-submissions are due by the end of the following week.
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
There is no prescribed textbook for this course. However the following textbook will be useful for the first half of the course. It is available free of charge as an EBL e-book (e-ISBN: 978-1-118-99639-3) via the RMIT Library Website.
|
978-1-118-99560-0 |
References
Sabin-Wilson, L (2nd edn, 2013), WordPress Web Design For Dummies, Wiley Publishing (For Dummies), e-ISBN: 978-1-118-54637-6 |
978-1-118-54637-6 |
Other Resources
Students may also refer to various Websites, textbooks and e-books as indicated their teacher.
Overview of Assessment
In order to achieve competency in this unit, you must provide:
Performance Evidence
Evidence of the ability to:
- create a content management system (CMS) powered website, using an open source with additional custom functionality that is not available ‘out of the box’, that meets client requirements
- perform basic content manipulation tasks in commonly used browsers
- evaluate content management additional functionality against current programming and security standards
- customise functionality into a pre-existing core CMS, to fulfil client requirements by programming
- validate the front-end code markup against standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Knowledge Evidence
To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, you must:
- analyse and describe, a range of content management systems and their respective functionality
- explain markup language and their associated standards
- outline server functionality in relation to the client and business requirements
- describe and apply, server-side language and security techniques
- explain the importance of web accessibility.
Assessment Conditions
Assessment must be conducted in a safe environment where evidence gathered demonstrates consistent performance in conditions that are safe and replicate the workplace. Noise levels, production flow, interruptions and time variances must be typical of those experienced in the website technologies field of work, and include access to:
-
- the client requirements, and content
- a text editor
- a range of browsers
- the internet for research, validation of code and programming documentation.
You are advised that you are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
Feedback
Feedback will be provided throughout the semester in class and/or online discussions. You are encouraged to ask and answer questions during class time and online sessions so that you can obtain feedback on your understanding of the concepts and issues being discussed. Finally, you can email or arrange an appointment with your teacher to gain more feedback on your progress.
You should take note of all feedback received and use this information to improve your learning outcomes and final performance in the course.
Assessment Tasks
You are required to complete 2 assessments. You must successfully complete each section of each assessment task to be deemed competent in this unit.
NOTE: Details about specific tasks and assessment criteria will be included in the Cover Sheet(s) for each task.
ASSESSMENT 1 - Travel Website Project
For this assessment task you will be required to create a fully customised Website for a travel agent in consultation with a client, in this case your teacher. In particular you will learn some of the key features of WordPress and how a simple site can be planned, configured, developed and tested. You will work individually on this project.
In order to be deemed competent in this task you will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in a variety of areas including the following:
- Analysing specifications & requirements for a Website
- Creating a basic WordPress powered Website as per requirements
- Customising WordPress to further its functionality
- Validating a Website against current standards, browsers & client requirements
During the course you will develop knowledge and skills in key areas such as Web hosting, WordPress, HTML, CSS, PHP. This will enable you to meet the basic requirements of the client and develop any customisations needed to extend the functionality of the Website.
You will be also be expected to customise your theme's appearance and employ page templates. This may involve HTML, CSS and PHP coding. Child themes or special plugins will be required.
After creating the initial required pages and menu, you will need to employ a variety of plugins in order to create image galleries, a contact form, a simple shopping cart and implement SEO etc.
Towards the end of the project you will be asked to develop further customisations of your own choice. These will include selecting an attractive and responsive theme and incorporating other useful plugins.
You will be expected to demonstrate your project prior to completion, so that you can receive any necessary feedback.
Once your Website has been completed and validated, any major customisations will need to be documented for assessment purposes. Guidelines will be provided.
Preliminary Website Demonstration (Week 7)
- Implementation of basic requirements & customisations in WordPress as required
- Draft versions of individual Web pages & posts as per client requirements
eg. home page, contact form, gallery pages & blog posts - Comments & widgets displayed as per client requirements with a simple theme
Final Website Completion (Week 10)
- Final version of the Website, including all required plugins & a fully customised theme
- Validation of Website against W3C standards, browsers & client requirements
- Basic documentation highlighting any major customisations
When you demonstrate your Website you will be questioned on key concepts and techniques in using WordPress. You will of course also receive feedback regarding the appearance and functionality of your site, particularly in relation to the initial client requirements. Timely completion of each stage is therefore essential.
ASSESSMENT 2 - Business Coaching Website Project
Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is the term given to an activity which integrates academic learning with its application in the workplace. This semester, as part of RMIT's focus on innovation and WIL projects in 2017, you are asked to develop IT infrastructure for a local small business.
For this assessment task in this course you will be required to use WordPress to create a fully-functional customised Website for a small business in Melbourne specialising in business and life coaching. You will need to consult with the key stakeholders, such as your teacher and a real client.
Key stages in the project will include planning, configuring, developing and testing the Website using WordPress. You will work in pairs or teams of three on this project. You will be expected to maintain a simple team diary of tasks performed by team members each week to ensure a fair distribution of workload.
Existing business documents or mockups such as a strategic plan for the business, contact and subscription forms plus a tax invoice and account summary will be provided. Samples of course materials and newsletters will also be available.
A number of high quality photos are to be supplied by the client, along with text for each of the main pages on the Website. You will also need to refer to other sites for similar businesses to get a better idea of the key requirements.
However each team of students will need to formulate a number of questions for the client in order to clarify the requirements. It is likely that some changes to the scope of the project will need to be made.
Key business functions will revolve around subscriptions for members, providing access to various courses and processing payments. It is also anticipated that products such as e-books will be for sale on the site in future. You will need to research and customise advanced plugins to achieve all the required functionalities.
You will be expected to employ some basic SEO techniques to improve the Google rankings for the site and test your pages in a variety of browsers and devices. You will also be required to research a suitable hosting plan, and write clear instructions for the client. Finally you will need to explain how to transfer and how to maintain the site.
You will be asked to demonstrate your Website to your teacher and the client prior to completion, so that you can receive any necessary feedback and make any final changes.
- Preliminary Website Demonstration (Week 12)
- Draft versions of individual Web pages as per client requirements e.g. home page, contact form, subscription form etc
- An attractive responsive theme (to be customised)
- Implementation of basic requirements & customisations in WordPress as required
- Final Website Completion (Week 14)
- Final version of the Website, including all key pages and plugins and a fully customised theme
- Validation of Website against W3C standards, browsers and client requirements
- Final Website Documentation (Due Week 15)
- The purpose & scope of Website project as per client requirements
- Any recommendations for suitable domain names and hosting etc
- Any functionalities beyond the basics which cannot be handled 'out of the box'
- Any of constraints and issues encountered in developing the Website
- Any basic requirements for the Website eg header and footer menus, required pages and posts, an image gallery and slider and the key forms
- Any key customisations such as a membership plugin and a shopping cart
- Any changes made to default colour schemes, page layout etc in the selected theme
- How the site was validated against Web standards, client requirements etc
- How the site was optimised and tested in various browsers and devices
- Any instructions for the user eg transferring the site and site maintenance in general
- Any screenshots as required for clarity of presentation
Detailed documentation guidelines will be available midway through the project. It is recommended that each team uses Google Docs for the proposal document. As mentioned above, a simple team diary will also be required. It is also important that all team members review one another's work and learn important concepts and techniques.
Again you will receive feedback relating to the appearance and functionality of the site. It is of course essential that all the requirements of the client are met, where feasible. Therefore it is vital that each stage is completed on time.
Teams may be asked to submit a draft version of their documentation in printout form, and will be expected to submit their final project document on Blackboard.
General Points
- The proposal document should include a header (eg with the name of the document and team members' names) and a footer (eg with the date and page number).
- All team members must sign the assessment cover sheet(s).
- Soft copies are to be retained by all team members as backups. Google Docs is preferred.
- RMIT academic discipline procedures will apply in cases of plagiarism. Students should use Turnitin to avoid plagiarism.
Please Note
To be deemed competent in this course you will be expected to successfully complete all aspects of each of the two assessment tasks (Website projects).
Late submissions of work required for any stage of these assessment tasks will be eligible for grading at CAG (Competency Achieved) level only.
Assessment Matrix
The Assessment Matrix that maps all assessments to the critical aspects of evidence, skills, knowledge and elements is available from the teacher.
Other Information
Submission Requirements
Assessment tasks need to be submitted via the Learning Hub (Blackboard).
You should:
- Ensure that you submit assessments on or before the due date.
- Always retain a copy of your assessment tasks (hard copy and soft copy).
- When you submit work for assessment at RMIT University you need to use a cover sheet that includes a declaration and statement of authorship. You must complete, sign and submit a cover sheet with all work you submit for assessment, whether individual or group work. On the cover sheet you declare that the work you are presenting for assessment is your own work. An assignment cover sheet for submission of work for assessment is available on blackboard.
- Each page of your assessment should include footer with your name, student number, the title of the assessment, unit code and title and page numbers. For example, Julie Macpherson, 324567, Task 2, OHS2345C Ensure safe workplace, Page 1 of 10.
Late Submission Procedures
You are required to submit assessment items and/or ensure performance based assessment is completed by the due dates.
If you are prevented from submitting an assessment item on time, by circumstances outside your control, you may apply in advance to your teacher for an extension to the due date of up to seven calendar days.
More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment/extension
Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/seca86tti4g4z.pdf
Where an extension of greater than seven days is needed, you must apply for special consideration. Applications for special consideration must be submitted no later than two working days after the assessment task deadline or scheduled examination.
More Information: http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=g43abm17hc9w
Form to use: http://mams.rmit.edu.au/8a5dgcaqvaes1.pdf
Resubmissions (VET Programs):
If you are found to be unsuccessful in a Course Assessment Task you will be allowed one resubmission only. Your teacher will provide feedback regarding what you need to do to improve and will set a new deadline for the resubmission. The highest grade you will receive if your resubmission is successful is "CAG".
If you are still not meeting the assessment requirements you must apply to your Program Manager in writing outlining the steps you will take to demonstrate competence in your course. Your submission will be considered by the Program Team and you will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.
Adjustments to Assessment
In certain circumstances students may be eligible for an assessment adjustment. For more information about the circumstances under which the assessment arrangements might be granted please access the following Website:
More Information: http://rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=7usdbki1fjf31
Marking Guide (Competency):
You must demonstrate that you have all the required skills/knowledge/elements in the unit of competency you are studying.
You will receive feedback on each assessment task that will inform you about your progress and how well you are performing.
Marking Guide (Grading)
After achieving competency we then grade your performance in the unit and you will achieve one of the following grades:
Final Grades Table:
CHD Competent with High Distinction
CDI Competent with Distinction
CC Competent with Credit
CAG Competency Achieved – Graded
NYC Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for assessment
Further information regarding the application of the grading criteria will be provided by your teacher.
Course Overview: Access Course Overview