Clinical Professor, School of Information
Web Application Technologies and Django
What You'll Learn
- Explain the basics of HTTP and how the request-response cycle works
- Install and deploy a simple DJango application
- Build simple web pages in HTML and style them using CSS
- Explain the basic operations in SQL
5 Modules
10 Hours
2 hrs per module (approx.)
Rating
About Web Application Technologies and Django
In this course, you'll explore the basic structure of a web application, and how a web browser interacts with a web server. You'll be introduced to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request/response cycle, including GET/POST/Redirect. You'll also gain an introductory understanding of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), as well as the overall structure of a Django application. We will explore the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern for web applications and how it relates to Django. You will learn how to deploy a Django application using a service like PythonAnywhere so that it is available over the Internet.
This is the first course in the Django for Everybody specialization. It is recommended that you complete the Python for Everybody specialization or an equivalent learning experience before beginning this series.
Skills You'll Gain
- Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Django (Web Framework)
- NoSQL
- Python (Programming Language)
What You'll Earn
- Certificate of Completion:
- Certificates of completion acknowledge knowledge acquired upon completion of a non-credit course or program.
Welcome Message
Welcome to Web Application Technologies and Django, a course that introduces how dynamic web applications work and how browsers communicate with servers. You will explore the HTTP request–response cycle, core web technologies like HTML and CSS, and the structure of Django applications. By the end of the course, you will understand how databases, web frameworks, and deployment come together to support modern web applications.
This abbreviated syllabus description was created with the help of AI tools and reviewed by staff. The full syllabus is available to those who enroll in the course.
Course Schedule
Module 1: Introduction to Dynamic Web Content
- Video: Why Django?
- Reading: Course Pre-Requsites
- Reading: Help Us Learn More About You!
- Video: Welcome to the Course
- Reading: Course Syllabus
- Reading: The Django Community and Django Girls
- Reading: Lecture Resources
- Video: Introduction to Dynamic Web Content
- Video: Network Sockets and Connections
- Video: HyperText Transfer Protocol
- Video: Building a Simple Web Browser in Python
- Video: Building a Simple HTTP Server in Python
- Video: Walkthrough: Browser Developer Mode
- Graded Assignment: The Request / Response Cycle
- Video: Welcome from Guido van Rossum
- Video: Face to Face Office Hours - Bletchley Park
- Video: Len Kleinrock - The First Two Packets on the Internet
- Graded: Exploring the HyperText Transfer Protocol
Module 2: Installing Django on PythonAnywhere
- Reading: Lecture Resources
- Video: Installing Django on PythonAnywhere
- Graded Assignment: Django Tutorial 1 Quiz
- Video: Understanding the DJ4E Autograder
- Video: Guido van Rossum: The Early Years of Python
- Video: Dr. Chuck Goes Racing - Joliet Illinois
- Video: Face to Face Office Hours - Tokyo
- Graded: Auto-grader: Installing Django
Module 3: Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
- Reading: Lecture Resources
- Reading: HTML Lectures from Web Applications For Everybody
- Video: WA4E / HTML - HyperText Markup Language (Part 1)
- Video: WA4E / HTML - HyperText Markup Language (Part 2)
- Video: WA4E / HTML - Code Walkthrough
- Graded Assignment: HTML Quiz
- Reading: HTML Assignment Specification
- App Item: Autograder: HyperText Markup Language (HTML)
- Video: Tim Berners Lee - Inventor of HTML and HTTP
- Video: Face to Face Office Hours - New Orleans, LA
Module 4: Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
- Reading: Lecture Resources
- Reading: CSS Lectures from Web Applications for Everybody
- Video: WA4E/CSS - Cascading Style Sheets (Part 1)
- Video: WA4E/CSS - Cascading Style Sheets (Part 2)
- Video: WA4E/CSS - Cascading Style Sheets (Part 3)
- Video: WA4E Code Walkthrough: CSS - Part 1
- Video: WA4E Code Walkthrough: CSS - Part 2
- Graded Assignment: CSS Quiz
- Reading: CSS Assignment Specification
- Video: Mitchell Baker - The Mozilla Foundation
- Video: Face to Face Office Hours - IIT TechFest - Mumbai, India
- Graded: Peer-Graded: Cascading Style Sheets
Module 5: Introducing Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Reading: Lecture Resources
- Video: How Databases Work
- Video: Introduction to Structured Query Language (SQL)
- Graded Assignment: Basic SQL
- Video: Walkthrough: Basic SQL
- Reading: Course Feedback
- Video: Liz Fong - Creating the SQL Standards
- Video: Face to Face Office Hours - Kitchener, Ontario
- Graded: Auto-grader: Basic SQL
Grading Policy
Learners are assessed through hands-on activities and auto-graded assignments that evaluate understanding of web technologies and Django fundamentals. Each assignment is worth 25% of your final grade.
Course content developed by U-M faculty and managed by the university. Faculty titles and affiliations are updated periodically.
Intermediate Level
Some related experience required
