What Sessions Can be Included?
The following sessions have been developed for inclusion in the Netskills Postgraduate Training Programme. Each can be run over a full or half day, depending upon the level of detail required for a particular run of the programme.
Further sessions are being developed and will be added to the portfolio. Custom topics can also be developed to suit your needs - if there is a specific topic you require that doesn't appear on the list, please get in touch to discuss your needs with one of the Netskills team.
Creating web pages: structure and standards
One of the key principles of web page authoring is the separation of structure and style. This session explores structure, considering the fundamental building blocks of a web page. A sound structure not only ensures that your web pages are accessible and valid but also provides the framework for adding style and interactivity.
Topics covered include:
- Creating web pages and the basics of web page delivery
- An introduction to HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
- The importance of HTML standards, the W3C and validation
- The pros and cons of web authoring tools
Utilising a web authoring tool - Dreamweaver
Web authoring tools, such as Macromedia Dreamweaver, speed up the creation of web pages. Users are able to efficiently design, develop and maintain standards-based web sites by either editing code or working in 'design' view. This session provides an overview of Dreamweaver, a leading web authoring tool with an elegant and user-friendly interface. Many of its features are demonstrated and explained, including how it handles style sheets, the standards-compliant method for adding style and formatting to web pages.
Topics covered include:
- Introduction to the Dreamweaver workspace
- Creating and editing web pages using Dreamweaver
- Adding text, images, links and tables to web pages
- Creating and editing style sheets with Dreamweaver
Adding style to your web pages
Once your web page structure is in place you are in a position to add style and formatting to your web pages. This session provides an overview of style sheets, the standards-compliant method for adding style to web pages. Style sheets allow a fine level of control over the visual display of your web pages, limited only by your personal creativity!
Topics covered include:
- Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Essential page formatting for fonts, colours and backgrounds
- The CSS box model - margins, padding and borders
- CSS for page layout
Writing for the web
All documents should be written with a consideration and awareness of their target audience. Writing effective content for the web requires an understanding of the ways users process web pages and gain information from them. For instance reading from computer screens is 25% slower than from paper and hence web content should have a lower word count than its paper equivalent.
Topics covered include:
- Writing styles, structure and target audiences
- Page design, layout and white space
- Web usability and accessibility
- Screen readers and other alternative browsers
Your web site
This session provides attendees with an opportunity to apply the web skills covered during the previous sessions. The primary focus will be on creating a personal web to promote individual skills and current research. Attendees will leave with web pages that can be used to demonstrate their research: presenting posters, working papers, a CV or some 'about me' information to the WWW community.
Topics covered include:
- Developing your personal site
- Publishing your web pages to a server
- Utilising online resources and tools
Web searching strategies and information quality
The ability to locate subject-specific information is an essential research skill. Appropriate information sources must be selected and then queried using a range of search techniques. Many researchers will be familiar with searching the web and databases, but how effective are the searches being performed? This session deconstructs the searching process and provides an overview of various sources for finding information and methods for searching them.
Topics covered include:
- Awareness of the scope and features of information sources
- Search logic and advanced search strategies
- Evaluating information quality
Exploiting online tools and resources
Creating web pages is an effective way to publicise your research. However, in addition there are numerous online tools which can be exploited by the research community to communicate and collaborate effectively. This session gives an overview of these tools and resources, including blogs, wikis and RSS, allowing time to experience these at first hand.
Topics covered include:
- Using blogs and RSS for immediate information exchange
- Investigating wikis for collaboration
- Tools for sharing resources and creating online social networks
Plagiarism and legal issues
The modern electronic age has revolutionised the publication, storage and re-use of information, with vast amounts of information and data readily available to the wider research community. However, precautions are imperative to ensure such resources are used ethically and legally. This session provides attendees with an awareness of, and practical guide to ensuring your research does not run into problems.
Topics covered include:
- Electronic copyright and intellectual property rights
- Plagiarism - what it is, and how to avoid it
- Online resources to help you check your writing and test your understanding of plagiarism
