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
2
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.).
3
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
4
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
5
• 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.
6
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
7
• 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
8
• 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.
9
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
10
• 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.
11
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
12
