Interactivity is a feature that enhances a Web surfer's experience with your pages or site.  Interactive features will provide your students with an opportunity to get involved with the content on your pages which means they will spend more time exploring and completing online activities and projects.  Other interactive features will assist you in tracking who visits your pages and will allow you to solicit feedback and comments.  Adding interactivity also gives you the flexibility to design a site with customizable features. 

What are Interactive Features?

Interactive features are any HTML tags, programming codes, or advanced software that will generate forms, graphics, or other elements on a Web page that let the user become an active participant in your site's content.  Examples of interactive features include:
 

• Forms
• Java & Java Script
• Java Applets
• CGI Scripts
• Various Interactive Hardware & Software Programs

This module will familiarize participants with interactive features and how they can be added to HTML code.  Many activities included in this module use a cut and paste method which allows participants to add forms and JavaScripts to their pages on the fly.  It is strongly recommended that the participants read the accompanying about sections on each sub-topic of this module and complete at least one tutorial. 

This module is designed for intermediate to advanced users of the World Wide Web who have had experience in creating basic web pages and want to add interactive elements.  Knowledge of HTML code and tags is strongly recommended as the participants will need to insert the interactive codes inside a basic HTML page.   While the tutorials and activities include cut and paste code that can be easily added to the HTML sourcecode of any web page, the participants will need to know the basic structure of a raw coded HTML page and an understanding of where the interactive tags should be inserted.

Requirements

This module is designed for participants with intermediate to advanced skills in computer operation and a knowledge of basic Web page creation. Participants in this module should know how to:

• Use Windows or the Macintosh operating system 
• Open, close, save, and find files
• Use an FTP or Telnet program 
• Create Web pages using a Web page authoring program 

Create Web pages using HTML tags

*Note:   While this module does NOT require programming skills from participants, it is strongly recommended that the participants engage in the self-directed tutorials and activities that are included in this module to gain a better understanding of how specific interactive features work within HTML.
This module is not designed to provide comprehensive programming competency in CGI, Java or other 
technologies.   Resources and links to sites that will provide participants with more information as well as advanced tutorials and activities on these subjects can be found within this module.

Outcomes

By the end of the module participants will have: 

• An understanding of features that add interactivity to Web pages
• Seen a variety of interactive web page techniques 
• Investigated a number of examples of interaction on the web
• Become knowledgeable in creating Web pages that include forms and JavaScripts 
• Created simple interactive elements 
• Completed tutorials and activites on interactive Web page features
• Become aware of  interactive technologies and tools 
• Experienced Web pages that use Macromedia Flash as an interactive interface