Module overview
The World Wide Web is a global information infrastructure that underpins the digital economy, our own social interactions and the world's cultures. It is built on a simple model of information exchange (the original Web architecture) that has evolved and adapted to new technologies and social opportunities, from Web pages of factual and encyclopedic content to smartphone apps and instagrammed breakfasts. This module looks at the technical architecture underlying the Web, its subsequent evolution to deal with problems of scale and sustainability, the hypertext research that has informed its development and the ecology of information that has grown up around it.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically evaluate Web information practices
- Understand net neutrality issues
- Understand how monetised, scaled information delivery is achieved
- Understand and use the Representational State Transfer (REST) architectural style of Web applications and APIs
- Identify the key characteristics of the Web Architecture
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The technical architecture of the World Wide Web
- The common standards for identification, representation and interaction on the Web
- The history of hypertext, its relationship with the Web, and current research issues
- Principles of Web information design
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Explain the interaction between intellectual property legislation and the Web
- Explain the roles of technical standards bodies for the Web
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Analyse and use RESTful Web applications
- Use common Web analysis technologies; data editors, browser inspectors, protocol analysers
Syllabus
The Architecture of the World Wide Web
HTTP protocol and Representational State Transfer
Hypertext: fundamentals, pioneers, hyperetxt writing, hypertext fiction, open hypermedia
Data Formats: TXT, HTML, CSS, XML, SVG, MathML, Office Open XML, EPub, PDF, CSV
The Web graph & search engines
Content delivery networks
Web advertising networks
Intellectual property, copyright and licensing
Net neutrality
Standards bodies
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Face to face lectures, video lectures and discussions, practical laboratory sessions
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Independent Study | 39 |
| Lecture | 36 |
| Completion of assessment task | 75 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
J. Webber, S. Parastatidis and I. Robinson (2010). REST in Practice. O'Reilly.
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Examination must be co-timetabled with that of COMP6218 Web Architecture.Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Final Assessment | 50% |
| Continuous Assessment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat
An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External