Key dates
19.08 - First lecture
05.09 - Deadline mandatory assignment 1
19.09 - Deadline mandatory assignment 2
03.10 - Deadline mandatory assignment 3
06.10 - Individual mid-term exam (multiple choice)
08.10 - Deadline registration of project groups
14.10 - Start of the group projects
27.10 - 31.10 - First project presentation (with feedback)
25.11 - Deadline project code submission / final "push" to git
01.12 - 05.12 - Final project presentation (graded exam)
Together we will explore key concepts related to platform ecosystems such as design, innovation, governance, and architecture. Practically, you will gain experience in making web-based applications through individual assignments covering HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React. In a group project, you will design and develop an application for an open source digital platform called DHIS2.
While the course involves hands-on web development, conceptual understanding through lectures, readings and practical experience is the core objective of the course. The final group presentation / oral examination is graded as a shared group grade counting 85% towards your final course grade. The group's ability to use key concepts and perspectives from the lectures and the curriculum to reflect on the group work experience will be evaluated as major part of the final group exam. You will need to take part in the lectures and read the articles included in the course syllabus in order to obtain a strong grade in the course.
We expect that students have prior experience with object-oriented or functional programming. The teaching resources for JavaScript, React, etc. assume an understanding of fundamental programming concepts. Your understanding of front-end programming concepts and principles will be tested in an individual mid-term exam that counts 15% towards the final grade. Failing the midterm exam will prevent you from completing the course as you will not be allowed to join a project group.
In the practical part of the course, you will learn how to develop front-end web applications using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React, and how to build these applications ‘on top of’ a software platform. During the first weeks, you will follow a self-paced online course that takes you through the necessary fundamentals of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React for you to develop front-end web applications. The online course is accompanied by three individual assignments that must be submitted and passed. These assignments are followed by the compulsory individual mid-term exam (15% of the grade).
After completing the individual assignments and the midterm exam, you will carry out a group project where you build an application for the DHIS2 software platform. In the group project, you will be provided with a case that describes a problematic situation for a group of end-users of the DHIS2 software. You can read more about DHIS2 at www.dhis2.org. Your project group will design and develop a web-based application that addresses the needs of the end-users. You will present your work two times. In the first presentation, you will present your preliminary understanding and planned solution to get feedback from the course lecturers. The second presentation is held after the final submission of your solution and is a graded oral exam (85% of course grade). One common grade is given to all group members.