Course Title: Customise a complex ICT content management system

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 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

 

Michael Edwards

michael.edwards@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
1.2 Determine the appropriate server-side language and hosting environment
1.3 Determine additional functionality that the CMS will not be able to handle 'out of the box'
1.4 Determine the functional requirements of the client's additional functionality
1.5 Determine any pre-existing restraints that need to be considered when developing the website solution

Element:

2. Develop customisation

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Plan and outline, the requirements of the additional functionality
2.2 Create and develop plug-in, extension or new functionality to the CMS to meet client requirements

Element:

3. Create a CMS powered website

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Install and configure, the chosen content management system
3.2 Install and integrate, the new CMS functionality

Element:

4. Validate and evaluate

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Validate final website markup against the current website standards
4.2 Validate CMS performance in different browsers, checking compatibility and core CMS functionality
4.3 Validate the developed additional functionality against the client requirements


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 3rd Jul 2017 Introduction to the course including:
• Course requirements
• Course support documents
• Course Blackboard access
• Accuracy of enrolment
• Assessment requirements/Cover Sheets
• Reminder re Plagiarism
• Reminder re Appeals
• Extensions/Resubmissions
• Feedback in this courser
• Reminder re submission requirements
• Getting help

Introduction to CMS Websites:
• Course introduction & overview
• Intro to WordPress. Hosting & sub-domains. MySQL GUIs
• Installing WordPress on a commercial host & jupiter server
 
2 10th Jul 2017 The Dashboard. Adding Posts & plugins. Categories & tags. Adding users & comments. Creating a simple theme & plugin  
3 17th Jul 2017 Adding new Pages. Page templates, sidebars & widgets. Adding plugins. Managing images, gallery plugins & videos. Processing images with Photoshop or similar ASSESSMENT 1 - Project Specifications issued
4 24th Jul 2017 Managing themes. FTP accounts & simple child themes. Managing menus & sub-menu items. Reading settings. Table plugins  
5 31st Jul 2017 Creating a new page template using PHP & CSS. Adding widgets, Google maps, contact forms & Captcha  
6 7th Aug 2017 Managing videos. Adding image sliders. Permalinks. Introduction to SEO. Database & content backups  
7 14th Aug 2017 Introduction to WooCommerce, including settings & products. Validation against client requirements.  ASSESSMENT 1 - Preliminary Website Demonstration / Feedback
8 21st Aug 2017 Optimising pages using Yoast SEO. Selecting themes. Responsive & WooCommerce-friendly themes.  Security issues. SSL certificates. Testing in browsers & on devices  
MID-SEMESTER BREAK (Mon 28th Aug to Fri 1st Sep 2017 inclusive)
9 4th Sep 2017 Customize options. Using Inspect in Chrome & Yellow Pencil. Final work on customisations & documentation for travel site ASSESSMENT 2 - Project Specifications issued
10 11th Sep 2017 Fresh installation of WordPress. Client requirements for business coaching Website project. Customising themes. Validating themes against standards. Creating footer menus ASSESSMENT 1 - In-Class Quiz & Final Website Completion (by end of week)
11

18th Sep 2017

Creating logos & customising headers. Analysis of key plugins for to achieve functionalities required for business coaching Website. Class work on project  
12

25th Sep 2017 
Holiday 29th Sep

Testing key plugins required eg. form, subscription & e-commerce plugins. Class work on project  
13 2nd Oct 2017 Other useful plugins eg. backup, migration, caching & analytics plugins. Class work on project & documentation  ASSESSMENT 2 - Preliminary Website Demonstration/ Feedback
14 9th Oct 2017 Validation against client requirements. Testing in browsers & on devices. SEO requirements. Web accessibility. Class work on project & documentation  
15 16th Oct 2017 Project demonstrations (to teachers & clients in class). Final class work on business coaching Website project & documentation ASSESSMENT 2 - Final Website & Documentation due(by end of week)
 16 23rd Oct 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.


References

Plumley, R. (3nd edn, 2016), WordPress 24-hour Trainer, Wiley Publishing (Wrox), ISBN: 978-1-118-99560-0

This 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.

The videos accompanying this book are excellent: http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-825053.html

Various

Sabin-Wilson, L (2nd edn, 2013), WordPress Web Design For Dummies, Wiley Publishing (For Dummies), e-ISBN: 978-1-118-54637-6

This text is available free of charge as an e-book via the RMIT Library Website. It will be useful the middle part of the course, particularly for methods of customisation, including child themes.

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

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) 

You are required to complete 2 assessments.  You must successfully complete all sections of each 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, HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL and WordPress. This will enable you not only to meet the basic requirements of the client, but also to develop any customisations needed to extend the functionality of the Website.

After initially installing WordPress you will be asked to demonstrate a simple child theme and a page template. This will involve HTML, CSS and PHP coding. You will need to understand the file and folder structure in WordPress.

After creating the initial required pages and menu, you will need to employ a variety of plugins in order to create image galleries and sliders, a contact form and a simple shopping cart, as well as implement SEO etc.

As you are developing your Website, you will be asked to demonstrate your site in class. You will of course receive feedback regarding the appearance and functionality of your site, particularly in relation to the client requirements.

Towards the end of the project you will be asked to develop further customisations, including some of your own choice. These will include selecting an attractive and responsive theme and customising your theme's appearance. Special plugins will be required.

Once your Website has been completed and validated, any major customisations will need to be documented for assessment purposes. Guidelines will be provided.

You will be expected to have completed all parts of the Website by the end of Week 10. Timely completion of each of the requirements and response to client feedback is therefore essential.

In Week 10 you will be questioned on key concepts and techniques in using WordPress via a formal online quiz. To be deemed competent in this task you will be expected to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in all areas of the course.

Key milestones in the project will be:


Preliminary Website Demonstration - Week 7

  • Implementation of basic requirements & customisations in WordPress as per client requirements
  • Draft versions of individual Web pages & posts as per client requirements
    eg. home page, contact form, gallery pages, sliders & blog posts
  • Comments & widgets displayed as per client requirements with a simple theme


In-Class Quiz & Final Website Completion - Week 10

  • Formal online quiz covering key concepts and techniques in using WordPress (conducted in class)
  • Final version of the Website, including all required plugins & a new fully-customised theme
  • Validation of Website against W3C standards, browsers & client requirements
  • Basic documentation highlighting any major customisations, including header and logo


ASSESSMENT 2 - Martial Arts School 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 will be developing IT infrastructure for a local business.

For this assessment task you will be asked 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, including a real client as well as your teacher.

You will be expected to plan, configure, develop and test the Website as a team. 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.

You will need to have a basic understanding of the business and how it operates, in particular the coaching packages and events. Existing business documents such as a strategic plan for the business, and mockups of business forms and reports will be examined or developed well before you start the Website.

Key business functions revolve around newsletter subscriptions, coaching resources and event bookings as well as payment processing. It is also likely that products such as e-books will be for sale on the site. You will need to research and customise advanced plugins to achieve all the required functionalities.

Each team of students will need to formulate a number of questions for the client in order to clarify the requirements of the client for the Website. You will probably also need to refer to other Websites for similar businesses to get a better idea of the key requirements and arrive at an optimal solution for the client.

Text for each of the main pages on the Website will be supplied by the client, along with number of photos. Materials for coaching packages, descriptions of events and company newsletters etc will also be provided as they become available.

It is of course essential that all the requirements of the client are met, where feasible. You will be asked to demonstrate your Website to your teacher on a regular basis and to the client prior to completion.

You will of course receive feedback relating to the appearance and functionality of the site and be expected to implement any required changes. It also is possible that some changes to the scope of the project will need to be made. Therefore it is vital that each stage of the Website is completed on time.

You will be asked 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 expected 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.

Detailed documentation guidelines will be available midway through the project. It is recommended that each team uses Google Docs for the team proposal document. As mentioned above, a simple team diary will also be required.

Teams may be asked to submit a draft version of their documentation, and will be expected to submit the final team project proposal document on Blackboard.

Key milestones in the project will be:

Preliminary Website Demonstration  (Week 13)

  • An attractive responsive theme (to be customised)
  • Draft versions of individual Web pages as per client requirements e.g. home page, contact form, subscription form, menu categories etc
  • Implementation of basic requirements & customisations in WordPress as per client requirements


Final Website Completion
 (Week 15)

  • Final version of the Website, including all key pages and plugins and a fully customised theme
  • Validation of Website against client requirements and W3C standards, testing in browsers and devices 


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, image galleries, sliders and forms
  • Any key customisations such as a school management or 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


General Points

  • The team 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 recommended.
  • RMIT academic discipline procedures will apply in cases of plagiarism. Students will be able to use Turnitin to ensure that their documentation meets appropriate standards.


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