The server-side of application development
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| 3 Interactive computer-marked assignments (iCMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
This twelve-week course, the third of six that together make up the Certificate in Web Applications Development, takes a broad look at the planning and development process. It explains how web servers ensure the availability and security of a site’s content, and explores the tools and techniques for developing the server-side of business applications on the internet. It also introduces the N-tier architecture to plan an application, estimate client and server workloads, and assess overall system performance. You’ll use ASP and VBScript to explore the basic concepts of server-side scripting for creating dynamic content, and develop a range of scripts to execute against a shared web server.
Course content
Starting with the role of the web server, you will explore the factors that determine how to maximise content availability – through such techniques as load-sharing and clustering – and where to learn about the latest web server vulnerabilities and find security bulletins. The course will introduce you to planning techniques such as wire-framing, N-tier architectures and components, and explore how dynamic content is created by means of the ASP framework and the VBScript scripting language.
At the core of the course is a website to which only registered students have access and through which all the specially prepared teaching, assessment and other material is presented. There is also an online forum where you can seek help and advice, and discussion groups for exchanging opinions with fellow students.
By the end of the course you will be able to:
- apply server-side scripting to:
- processing and validating form data
- reading and writing server files
- tracking users' activities
- combine these concepts and skills to create a web application
- discuss the role of the 'server' in the development of secure and reliable web applications
- discuss the performance and security implications of server-side interaction
- estimate the performance of a single web server to deliver static and dynamic content
- explain how encryption and public key infrastructures (PKI) support the creation of secure web applications
- discuss the benefits of N-tier architecture in terms of scalable web applications
- relate the history of server-side interaction through the development of CGI, server-side scripting, and re-usable components.
Please note that the teaching material and assignments for this course are available from the course website 3 weeks before you need them. Therefore, if your circumstances do not allow you to study over the whole 12 weeks please think closely before registering for this course.
Entry
The course will appeal to a wide variety of people, for example:
- those who have already taken Web applications: design, development and management (TT280) and The client side of application development (TT281).
- those who have some prior experience of client- and server-side scripting.
This is a Level 2 course and as such places certain academic requirements on its students. For example, you will need to be able to complete a 2000-word report at the end of the course. If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Although you are not prevented from registering for TT282 without the essential prior experience, we would not recommend this. You must have a good understanding of the basic principles of programming, especially the concepts of variable scope, conditional branching and flow control and procedures. A student who fulfils the entry requirements should expect to devote 10 hours of study per week. Students with less experience will need more time. We strongly advise against studying two or more courses at the same time.
Visit the dedicated website to learn more about the details of the Certificate in Web Applications Development.
Qualifications
TT282 is a compulsory course in our
The Certificate in Web Applications Development comprises of six courses. If you wish to complete all six courses in order to obtain the Certificate, you should be aware that this Programme is coming to an end and you should plan to include these courses in your study plan in the near future. See the qualification description for details.
TT282 is an optional course in our
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change. You should think carefully about fitting 10 points into a degree that consists mostly of 30-point and 60-point courses.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer and the internet. You will also need to use FirstClass®. If you use special hardware or software you must, well before the course begins, find out whether it will work with the course software. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Access to the course website and Web Certificate DVD-ROM containing specialist software and multiple web browsers. Downloadable software for taking part in a single/national online forum.
You will need
You should be prepared to spend significant amounts of time online (at least three hours a week). This may mean extra charges to your telephone bill unless you have a package which provides unlimited access to the internet.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.
Teaching and assessment
Study support
The course is taught entirely online. You will not have an individual tutor, but you can use the online forum to ask for help and advice about any aspect of the course. The forum will be moderated by experienced tutors.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your computer-marked assignments (CMAs). The written end-of-course assessment (ECA) must also be submitted electronically.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
We expect this course to be available twice a year, in May and October.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Computing and ICT.
Study explained
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- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
As with all the TT series couses I enjoyed this course on ASP and found the subject matter both interesting ...
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I thought this was a good course and really enjoyed learning the concepts of server side application development. I enjoyed ...
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