From the Catalog: This course covers a set of protocols, architectures, and APIs
designed to enable browser-to-browser real-time communication of voice, video, and data.
Students will learn to apply basic technologies including WebSockets, HTTP, HTML5, Web
Sockets, NAT, STUN, TURN, and ICE to ensure two-way real-time communication is
established using the WebRTC APIs and architectures. Students will use JavaScript and
development environments to create basic data and media applications based on the WebRTC
technologies and will record the impact of their applications on the performance and
behavior of the networks that carry them.
Extended Description: The course’s preferred development methods will require
students to create and maintain testing suites and other automated quality-assurance
measures. Students will also immerse themselves in some of the core values of the class:
appropriately scoped features, progressive enhancement, expertly crafted commits,
semantic versioning, rigorous code reviews, automated builds, continuous
integration/continuous deployment, accurate code-adjacent documentation, and a healthy
suspicion and pessimistic view of frameworks, libraries, and other dependencies in
production.
ITMD 469 Students
At the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:
- Analyze complex computing problems and apply principles of computing and other
relevant disciplines to identify solutions
- Participate in the creation, execution, and ongoing revision of an effective
project plan
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of
computing requirements
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in advanced web
development
- Identify and analyze user needs and take them into account in the selection,
creation, evaluation and administration of computer-based systems
- Apply security principles and practices to maintain operations in the presence of
risks and threats
ITMD 545 Students
At the conclusion of this course, successful students will be able to:
- Analyze complex computing problems and apply principles of computing and other
relevant disciplines to identify solutions
- Manage the creation, execution, and ongoing revision of an effective project plan
- Design, implement, and evaluate a computing-based solution to meet a given set of
computing requirements
- Communicate effectively in a variety of professional contexts
- Function effectively as a member or leader of a team engaged in advanced web
development
- Identify and analyze user needs and take them into account in the selection,
creation, evaluation and administration of computer-based systems
- Assess security principles and practices used to maintain operations in the
presence of risks and threats
ITMD 469 Students
Students completing this course will learn to:
- Problem-solve and create innovative answers to provide technology solutions for the
problems of business, industry, government, non-profit organizations, and individuals.
- Perform requirements analyses, design, and administration of computer and
network-based systems conforming to policy and best practices, and monitor and support
continuing development of relevant policy and best practices as appropriate.
- Apply current technical and mathematical concepts and practices in the core
information technologies and recognize the need to engage in continuing professional
development.
ITMD 545 Students
Students completing this course will learn to:
- Problem-solve and create innovative answers to provide technology solutions for the
problems of business, industry, government, non-profit organizations, and individuals.
- Perform requirements analyses, design, and administration of computer and
network-based systems conforming to policy and best practices, and monitor and support
continuing development of relevant policy and best practices as appropriate.
- Analyze current technical concepts and practices in core WebRTC technologies and
recognize the need to engage in continuing professional development.
There are no books required for this course. The existing titles on WebRTC are several
years old, and do not reflect the complete contents of the WebRTC 1.0: Real-time Communication Between Browsers
specification, which reached Candidate Recommendation status in December 2019.
We will instead read widely from industry and academic sources, which are linked from the
course calendar.
Required
- A blank, bound sketchbook of 100 pages or more
- A wide-tipped black marker, like a Sharpie
- An email account that you check daily
- A browser- or cloud-based bookmarking scheme to aid your information management
- A Basecamp account (invite will arrive via email); Basecamp, not Blackboard, will
be where we coordinate our work and communication during and outside of class.
- A GitHub account (see note about anonymity in the course technology policy below)
- A personal computer, Unix-based (Linux, BSD, macOS) or virtualized to run a
Unix-like OS, with the following software installed:
- A plain-text editor capable of JavaScript syntax highlighting and configured
for UTF-8/Unicode character encoding and Unix-style line endings (LF), entabbed
with spaces (two spaces per tab)
- Firefox Developer Edition (free)
- Git (free)
- Virtually hosted server space through Linode or another provider (this may be
required later in the course; there’s no need to purchase before then—it’s just
something to budget for to the tune of about $10 per month)
Recommended
- A tablet with a pencil/stylus, running a fully featured drawing or illustration
program
- Wide-tipped markers in a variety of colors (shopping hint: try a search for
“professional art markers” on Amazon)
I make it my very top priority to create courses that are welcoming and accessible to all
students. I will make additional reasonable accommodations for students with documented
disabilities. In order to receive accommodations, students must obtain a letter of
accommodation from the Center for Disability Resources. The Center for Disability Resources is located in IIT
Tower, 3424 S. State Street - 3F3-1 (third floor, in the northwest corner across from the
Student Health and Wellness Center). Contact the Center by telephone at 312-567-5744, by
TDD at 312-567-5135, or via email at disabilities@iit.edu
Students who have any difficulty, either permanent or temporary, that might affect their
ability to successfully participate in and complete the class should contact me
privately, either in person or electronically, at the start of the semester or as a
difficulty arises. That includes difficulties with housing, internet access, and anything
that otherwise compromises your sense of safety, security, and support—especially if it
impacts your ability to complete this class. Please reach out.
I will adjust methods, materials, or deadlines as necessary to ensure equitable
participation for all students.
Mental Health and Well-Being
It’s no secret that attending school while managing and balancing other life concerns is
incredibly stressful and at times completely overwhelming. And that’s when there’s not a
global pandemic raging, disrupting all aspects of our lives. All of us, no matter how
outwardly strong, successful, or put-together we might appear, struggle sometimes.
Illinois Tech provides all students with a variety of free counseling services. I
encourage all students to seek support and help from the Counseling Services unit of
the Student Health and Wellness Center. Students facing a crisis situation, especially
outside of the Counseling Services unit’s operating hours, may wish to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-8255. The Student Health and Wellness Center maintains a list of other
emergency resources worth bookmarking.
Attendance & Participation
Your timely submission of work and active participation in the electronic discussions for
this class are required both for your own success and for the success of the class as a
whole. I do not squander students’ time with reading quizzes, but I do assign a lot of
reading. And I expect you to be prepared to discuss that reading on Basecamp by quoting
or making direct references to each week’s assigned reading.
Additionally, you should be posting to Basecamp about your individual and group progress,
questions, and challenges as you complete the course’s major projects.
Students intending to earn an A for Participation should be posting substantively on the
Discussion & Announcements Basecamp five times or more per week, with contributions
appearing multiple days per week, all semester long. Students earning a B will post three
to five times, and students earning a C will post two times, every week. Fewer than an
average of two discussion contributions per week will result in a failing Participation
grade. (While you are certainly encouraged to post to the Social Hour Basecamp, that
activity does not affect your participation grade.)
Attendance at live class meetings does not impact your participation grade, but I do hope
that everyone who is able joins those meetings.
Class Meeting Expectations and Etiquette
If you are able to attend our class meetings on Google Meet, here are just a few simple
guidelines:
-
You do not have to broadcast your camera. For any reason. The choice
is yours. It’s helpful for me to be able to glance at faces and see how everyone is
reacting, but it’s totally up to you whether to broadcast your camera or not.
-
Please mute your mic if you’re not speaking. Self-explanatory. Muted
mics cut down on ambient noise and occasional echo that can be real problems for people
who have hearing difficulties. I encourage you to turn on the live closed captioning
when we’re in Google Meet.
-
Neither you nor our Meet room will appear in videos. I will always
teach class with our Google Meet room on a second screen that will not be recorded. If
you opt to speak, your voice will be in the video, of course. But you also have the
option of messaging in the Meet room by text; I will keep an eye on that as class is
going, in case you wish to raise questions or ask for clarification that way.
-
All class meetings will be posted to YouTube. You’ll be able to watch
class on your own time if you’re unable to attend the live class. I have some pretty
cool tricks for helping to index the videos on YouTube, too, if you need to go back and
find and rewatch something. Again, I will take great care not to accidentally record
our chat room. I will share a playlist link for all of our videos on Basecamp and on
the course website.
-
If my Internet connection fails, I will still record and post class.
That kind of thing does happen: sometimes before class, sometimes during. If I’ve got
Internet troubles, I’ll post to Basecamp from my phone and let everyone know what’s
going on.
All major projects for this course will be submitted via Basecamp for instructor and peer
feedback. Certain deliverables, such as critiques of team members, will be submitted
separately via email. See each major project’s description for exact submission
instructions.
Weekly work will be pushed to GitHub and posted about on Basecamp, as described in the
weekly work’s instructions.
All work must be submitted before the date and time specified in each project
description. Weekly work is due by the start of the first class meeting each week.
The deadlines in this class, including for draft work, are no different from exam
dates in classes that have exams. I expect you to do your best to treat them
accordingly. If you believe you are in danger of missing a deadline, be sure to contact
me well ahead of time so we can work something out.
ITMD 469 Students
- Project 1: 10 pts
- Project 2: 20 pts
- Project 3: 25 pts
- Discussion Participation: 45 pts
- TOTAL: 100 pts
A = 90+ pts; B = 80-89 pts; C = 70-79 pts; D = 60-69 pts; E ≤ 59 pts
ITMD 545 Students
- Project 1: 10 pts
- Project 2: 20 pts
- Project 3: 25 pts
- Project 4: 15 pts
- Discussion Participation: 30 pts
- TOTAL: 100 pts
A = 90+ pts; B = 80-89 pts; C = 70-79 pts; E ≤ 69 pts
ITMD 467 Students
- A - Student has turned in all required components of a project, the work is
exceptional in quality, and reflects the student’s dedication to adjusting the project
to his or her own interests.
- B - Student has turned in all required components of a project, and the work is
exceptional for undergraduate work.
- C - Student has turned in all required components of a project and submitted work
that is acceptable as undergraduate level.
- D - Student has turned in all required components of a project, but the work is
below undergraduate level.
- E - Student has not turned in all required components of a project.
ITMD 567 Students
- A - Student has turned in all required components of a project, the work is
exceptional in quality, and reflects the student’s dedication to adjusting the project
to his or her own interests.
- B - Student has turned in all required components of a project and submitted work
that is acceptable as graduate level.
- C - Student has turned in all required components of a project, but the work is
below graduate level.
- E - Student has not turned in all required components of a project.
Technology is an essential part of learning and day-to-day living. It is therefore
essential to this class. You are just as responsible for learning to command various
technologies as for any other course content. Difficulty with technology is not an
acceptable excuse for being unprepared for class or for incomplete assignments.
If you are having trouble with technology or any other material covered in this course,
it is your professional responsibility to do research beyond the resources and guidance
provided in class and find supplemental materials that work for you. I also encourage all
students to contact me during my office hours or at another arranged time. I prefer that
you contact me via Basecamp Ping or email well in advance of assignment and project
deadlines. I want everyone in here to succeed, but each of you has to take the first step
and reach out for help.
Also, I have asked you to sign up for a GitHub account for this class. Note that GitHub
accounts are public, as are most social-type accounts. To protect your privacy you are
certainly allowed to use a pseudonym/alias for GitHub and any other account. That being
said, you might want to think about the high value of establishing GitHub and other
accounts under your own name or professional alias. Public accounts where you conduct
yourself professionally might well be an asset to your online presence, improving the
search results that future schools or employers turn up when they look for you on Google
and elsewhere.
As with any course at IIT, you are expected to uphold the Code
of Academic Honesty as described in the IIT Student Handbook. All work for
this course must be your own original effort, including print and digital page design and
computer code. Summarizations and quotations of text, as well as any use of open-source
code libraries and images not of your own making, should be clearly cited as legally and
ethically warranted and rhetorically appropriate. Access, storage, dissemination, and
other use of data from third-party sources must conform to the source’s terms of service,
licensing, and other relevant legal and ethical restrictions.
If you are at all uncertain as to whether you are submitting work that in whole or in
part may violate the Code of Academic Honesty, please contact me immediately and before
the work is due. The consequences of academic dishonesty are severe. Any student who
violates the Code of Academic Honesty will be subject to expulsion from this course with
a failing grade, and I will report the student to the Chair of the Information Technology
and Management Department, who may take additional disciplinary action, including
reporting violations to the relevant offices of Undergraduate or Graduate Academic
Affairs.