JavaScript Web Development: From Beginner to Advanced

A 16-Week Curriculum for Online Classes

Course Overview
This course is designed to take students from JavaScript basics through to advanced web development
concepts. The curriculum combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on coding assignments and projects
to ensure students gain applicable skills for building real-world websites and web applications.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
• Write and debug JavaScript programs using proper syntax and programming practices
• Understand HTML/CSS fundamentals and create well-structured web pages
• Manipulate the DOM and handle events in web applications

• Implement responsive design for mobile and desktop compatibility

• Work with modern JavaScript frameworks (focusing on React.js)
• Develop server-side applications using Node.js and Express

• Set up and manage databases with MongoDB

• Create RESTful APIs for client-server communication
• Implement authentication and authorization in web applications
• Deploy full-stack web applications to production environments

Required Tools and Resources

• Text Editor/IDE (Visual Studio Code recommended)
• Modern web browser (Chrome or Firefox)

• Node.js and npm (Latest stable version)

• Git and GitHub account
• MySQL Database

• Postman (for API testing)

• Vercel/Netlify accounts (for deployment)
Detailed Course Structure
Week 1: Introduction to Web Development & HTML Fundamentals
Session: Web Development Basics (1.5 hours)
• Introduction to web development landscape
• How the web works: client-server model, HTTP basics

• Web browser and developer tools

• HTML structure and syntax
• Document structure and metadata
• Text formatting and semantic elements

• Lists, tables, and forms

• Images and multimedia
• Setting up a development environment

• Creating your first HTML webpage

Practical Lab
• Setting up a text editor and development environment
• Creating a simple HTML profile page

• Examining web pages using browser developer tools

Assignment 1
1. Personal Portfolio Page: Create a basic personal portfolio using HTML with multiple pages, in-
cluding About Me, Skills, Education, and Contact Information sections.

2. Restaurant Menu: Build an HTML page for a restaurant menu with sections for appetizers, main
courses, desserts, and beverages.
3. Event Registration Form: Create an HTML form for event registration that collects attendee
information.

Week 2: CSS Styling and Responsive Design

Session: CSS Fundamentals (1.5 hours)
• Introduction to CSS and its role in web development

• CSS syntax and selectors

• Applying CSS (inline, internal, external)
• Box model and layout fundamentals
• Colors, backgrounds, and borders

• Typography and text styling

• Flexbox layout
• CSS Grid basics

• Responsive design principles

• Media queries for different screen sizes

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Practical Lab
• Styling HTML elements with CSS
• Creating responsive layouts with Flexbox and Grid

• Implementing media queries for mobile-first design

Assignment 2
1. Portfolio Styling: Add CSS to style the portfolio website from Week 1, making it visually appealing
and responsive.

2. Landing Page: Create a responsive landing page for a fictional product or service with a hero
section, features list, and contact form.
3. CSS Card Layout: Design a grid of cards showcasing team members or products that adjusts based
on screen size.

Week 3: JavaScript Basics

Session: JavaScript Fundamentals (1.5 hours)
• Introduction to JavaScript: history and importance

• JavaScript in browser: script tags and external files

• Variables, data types, and operators
• Basic console output and debugging

• Conditional statements (if-else, switch)

• Comparison and logical operators
• Functions: declarations, expressions, and arrow functions
• JavaScript code organization

• Basic error handling

Practical Lab
• Working with JavaScript in browser console

• Creating and using functions

• Implementing conditional logic
Assignment 3
1. Temperature Converter: Create a program that converts temperatures between Celsius and Fahren-
heit.
2. Simple Calculator: Build a basic calculator that performs addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division.
3. Form Validator: Write JavaScript to validate a form (checking required fields, email format, etc.).

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Week 4: JavaScript Data Structures and Control Flow
Session: Arrays, Objects, and Loops (1.5 hours)

• Arrays: creation, access, methods

• Array iteration methods (forEach, map, filter, reduce)
• Objects: properties, methods, and this keyword
• JSON format and usage

• Loops: for, for...of, for...in, while

• Break and continue statements
• Nested data structures
• Working with dates in JavaScript

• Basic algorithms and problem-solving

Practical Lab
• Working with arrays and array methods

• Creating and manipulating objects

• Implementing loops for data processing
Assignment 4
1. Task Manager: Create a simple task list application that allows adding, marking as complete, and
removing tasks.
2. Data Filter: Write a program that filters an array of objects based on multiple criteria.
3. Product Catalog: Build a program that organizes and displays products by category, price range,
and availability.

Week 5: DOM Manipulation and Events

Session: Browser DOM API (1.5 hours)
• Document Object Model (DOM) structure

• Selecting DOM elements

• Modifying element content, attributes, and styles
• Creating and removing elements

• Event types and event handling

• Event bubbling and delegation
• Form events and form handling
• Browser storage (localStorage and sessionStorage)

• Working with timers (setTimeout, setInterval)

Practical Lab
• DOM selection and modification
• Implementing event handlers

• Working with forms and browser storage

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Assignment 5
1. Interactive Image Gallery: Create an image gallery with thumbnails that display a larger image
when clicked.
2. Form with Dynamic Validation: Build a form with real-time validation feedback as users type.
3. Shopping Cart: Implement a simple shopping cart that allows adding items, updating quantities,
and calculating totals with data persisting in localStorage.

Week 6: Advanced JavaScript Concepts

Session: Modern JavaScript Features (1.5 hours)
• Scope and closures
• Callbacks and higher-order functions
• Promises and async/await
• Error handling with try/catch
• ES6+ features (destructuring, spread/rest, template literals)
• Module system (import/export)
• Classes and object-oriented programming
• Prototypal inheritance
• Function context and binding
Practical Lab
• Working with promises and async/await
• Creating and using modules
• Implementing class-based solutions
Assignment 6
1. Weather App: Create a weather application that fetches data from an API using async/await.
2. Class-based Quiz App: Build a quiz application using JavaScript classes for questions, the quiz
engine, and scoring.
3. Module-based Calculator: Rebuild the calculator from Week 3 using ES modules for different
operations.

Week 7: HTTP, APIs, and Fetch

Session: Working with External Data (1.5 hours)
• HTTP methods and status codes
• RESTful API concepts
• JSON data format in depth
• Working with the Fetch API
• Handling API responses and errors
• Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS)
• Authentication basics (API keys, tokens)
• Axios library for HTTP requests

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• Caching and optimizing API requests
Practical Lab
• Making API requests with Fetch and Axios

• Processing and displaying API data

• Handling authentication and errors
Assignment 7

1. Movie Database App: Create an application that fetches and displays movie information from a
public API.
2. GitHub Profile Viewer: Build a tool that allows users to search for GitHub profiles and display
relevant information.
3. Currency Converter: Implement a currency converter that fetches real-time exchange rates.

Week 8: Introduction to React.js

Session: React Fundamentals (1.5 hours)

• Introduction to React and component-based architecture

• Setting up a React application with Create React App
• JSX syntax and expressions
• Functional and class components

• Props and component composition

• State and useState hook
• Component lifecycle and useEffect
• Handling events in React

• Rendering lists and conditional rendering

Practical Lab
• Setting up a React development environment

• Creating components with props and state

• Implementing event handlers and effects
Assignment 8
1. React Profile Card: Convert the portfolio page from Week 1-2 into a React component.

2. Todo List App: Build a task management application with React, implementing adding, complet-
ing, and deleting tasks.
3. Product Listing Page: Create a component-based product listing page with filtering options.

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Week 9: Advanced React Concepts
Session: React State Management and Routing (1.5 hours)

• React state management patterns

• Context API for global state
• Introduction to Redux concepts
• Form handling in React

• React Router for navigation

• Component styling approaches (CSS modules, styled-components)
• Error boundaries and error handling
• Performance optimization techniques

• Custom hooks
Practical Lab
• Implementing Context API for state management

• Setting up React Router for multi-page applications

• Creating and using custom hooks
Assignment 9
1. Multi-page React App: Build a small React application with multiple routes and navigation.

2. Shopping Cart with Context: Implement a shopping cart using Context API for global state
management.
3. Theme Switcher: Create a theme switching functionality using Context that allows toggling be-
tween light and dark modes.

Week 10: Introduction to Node.js and Server-Side JavaScript

Session: Node.js Fundamentals (1.5 hours)
• Introduction to Node.js and its architecture

• Node.js module system

• Working with the file system
• npm and package management

• Creating a basic HTTP server

• Introduction to Express.js framework
• Middleware concept in Express
• Routing in Express

• Request and response objects

• Environment variables and configuration
Practical Lab
• Setting up a Node.js environment

• Creating a simple Express server

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• Implementing routes and middleware
Assignment 10
1. API Server: Create a simple RESTful API with Express that serves JSON data.
2. File Upload Service: Build a Node.js server that handles file uploads and serves static files.
3. Backend Validation: Implement server-side validation for a registration form.

Week 11: Databases and MongoDB

Session: Database Management with MongoDB (1.5 hours)
• Introduction to databases and data persistence
• SQL vs NoSQL database concepts
• MongoDB architecture and concepts
• Setting up MongoDB (local and Atlas)
• CRUD operations in MongoDB
• Mongoose ODM for Node.js
• Schema design and validation
• Data relationships in MongoDB
• Indexing and performance considerations
• Database security basics
Practical Lab
• Setting up MongoDB and connecting from Node.js
• Creating and using Mongoose models
• Implementing CRUD operations
Assignment 11
1. Blog API: Create an API for a blog with posts and comments stored in MongoDB.
2. Product Inventory System: Build a system to manage product inventory with MongoDB.
3. User Profile Database: Implement a user profile system with MongoDB and Mongoose.

Week 12: Authentication and Authorization

Session: Security in Web Applications (1.5 hours)
• User authentication concepts
• Password hashing with bcrypt
• JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
• Token-based authentication flow
• Session-based authentication alternatives
• Protecting routes and resources
• Role-based access control
• OAuth and third-party authentication

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• Security best practices
• HTTPS and secure cookies
Practical Lab

• Implementing JWT authentication

• Creating protected routes
• Setting up role-based access control

Assignment 12
1. Authentication System: Build a complete authentication system with registration, login, and pass-
word reset.
2. Protected API: Create an API with both public and protected endpoints requiring authentication.

3. Admin Dashboard: Implement a simple admin area with role-based access control.

Week 13: Full-Stack Application Development

Session: Connecting Frontend and Backend (1.5 hours)

• Full-stack application architecture

• Connecting React frontend with Node.js backend
• Handling CORS in full-stack applications
• State management across the stack

• Form submission and data flow

• File uploads in full-stack applications
• Error handling across client and server

• Loading states and user feedback

• Performance considerations
Practical Lab
• Setting up a full-stack project structure

• Implementing frontend-backend communication

• Managing application state across the stack
Assignment 13

1. Full-Stack Todo App: Create a complete todo application with React frontend and Express/MongoDB
backend.
2. Image Upload Gallery: Build an image upload and gallery system with both client and server
components.
3. User Profile Dashboard: Implement a user profile system where users can register, login, and edit
their information.

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Week 14: Testing and Debugging Web Applications
Session: Testing and Quality Assurance (1.5 hours)

• Importance of testing in web development

• Types of testing (unit, integration, end-to-end)
• JavaScript testing frameworks (Jest)
• Testing React components

• API testing with Supertest

• Test-driven development concepts
• Debugging techniques for JavaScript
• Browser DevTools for debugging

• Common web application bugs and solutions

• Performance profiling
Practical Lab

• Writing tests for JavaScript functions

• Testing React components
• Debugging application issues
Assignment 14

1. Test Suite: Write tests for a previous assignment using Jest.

2. Debugging Challenge: Debug and fix issues in a provided application.
3. TDD Exercise: Implement a feature using test-driven development.

Week 15: Deployment and DevOps Basics

Session: Deploying Web Applications (1.5 hours)
• Preparing applications for production

• Environment configuration
• Frontend deployment (Netlify, Vercel)
• Backend deployment (Heroku, Railway)
• Database deployment (MongoDB Atlas)

• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

• Domain configuration and DNS
• Monitoring and logging

• Performance optimization for production

• Scalability considerations
Practical Lab
• Deploying a React application

• Deploying a Node.js server

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• Setting up environment variables for production
Assignment 15
1. Production Deployment: Deploy a full-stack application to production platforms.

2. Custom Domain Setup: Configure a custom domain for a deployed application.

3. Optimization Exercise: Identify and implement performance optimizations for a deployed applica-
tion.

Week 16: Final Project and Course Review

Session: Project Development and Course Summary (1.5 hours)
• Final project requirements and guidelines

• Project planning and architecture

• Best practices review
• Common patterns in web development
• Career paths in web development

• Continuing education resources

• Portfolio development
• Project presentations
• Course recap and knowledge assessment

Final Project Guidelines

• Build a complete full-stack web application
• Implement user authentication and authorization

• Use React for the frontend

• Use Node.js, Express, and MongoDB for the backend
• Include proper error handling and validation
• Deploy the application to production

• Present your project with explanation of architecture and features

Final Project Ideas
1. E-commerce Platform: Build a simple online store with product listings, shopping cart, and check-
out.

2. Social Media Dashboard: Create a platform where users can post updates, follow others, and
interact.
3. Content Management System: Develop a CMS for managing blog posts or articles with an admin
interface.

4. Project Management Tool: Build a tool for tracking projects, tasks, and team collaboration.
5. Recipe Sharing Application: Create a platform where users can share, search, and save recipes.

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Assessment Structure
• Weekly Assignments (50%): Programming tasks and mini-projects
• Participation and Labs (10%): Engagement in online sessions and practical work

• Final Project (40%): Comprehensive web application showcasing learned skills

Resources and References

Textbooks and Documentation
• MDN Web Docs: https://developer.mozilla.org/
• ”Eloquent JavaScript” by Marijn Haverbeke: https://eloquentjavascript.net/

• ”You Don’t Know JS” series by Kyle Simpson

• React Documentation: https://reactjs.org/docs/getting-started.html
• Node.js Documentation: https://nodejs.org/en/docs/
• Express.js Documentation: https://expressjs.com/

• MongoDB Documentation: https://docs.mongodb.com/

Online Resources
• freeCodeCamp: https://www.freecodecamp.org/

• The Odin Project: https://www.theodinproject.com/

• CSS-Tricks: https://css-tricks.com/
• Frontend Masters: https://frontendmasters.com/

• Traversy Media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TraversyMedia

• Web Dev Simplified YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WebDevSimplified

Additional Tools
• GitHub for version control and collaboration
• Visual Studio Code with extensions for web development
• Chrome DevTools for debugging
• Figma/Adobe XD for UI design mockups

• Discord/Slack/Whatsapp for class communication and support

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