A Structured Approach to Teaching Web Development

Teaching students to become web developers requires a hands-on approach. Incorporating live clients into student projects, instead of using case studies or mock companies, adds a dimension that exposes students to the realities of web development. This paper will describe a structured methodology used in a web development course to build complete web sites for local businesses. Based upon the written evaluations included with the final project documentation, students feel this project is the most valuable learning experience of the course. Furthermore, the positive relationship established with the clients makes this project serve as a bridge between business and academe.