Introduction to Web Development (Coursera)

Introduction to Web Development (Coursera)

This course is designed to start you on a path toward future studies in web development and design, no matter how little experience or technical knowledge you currently have. The web is a very big place, and if you are the typical internet user, you probably visit several websites every day, whether for business, entertainment or education. But have you ever wondered how these websites actually work? How are they built? How do browsers, computers, and mobile devices interact with the web? What skills are necessary to build a website? With almost 1 billion websites now on the internet, the answers to these questions could be your first step toward a better understanding of the internet and developing a new set of internet skills.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

BBy the end of this course you’ll be able to describe the structure and functionality of the world wide web, create dynamic web pages using a combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, apply essential programming language concepts when creating HTML forms, select an appropriate web hosting service, and publish your webpages for the world to see. Finally, you’ll be able to develop a working model for creating your own personal or business websites in the future and be fully prepared to take the next step in a more advanced web development or design course or specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Course Overview and Website Structure and Hosting
This first module provides an overview of how websites function, their structure, and the ins and outs of choosing a website name and selecting an online host to house your website. By the end of this module, you'll be able to: find and select a web hosting company; choose an effective domain name; use the host to manage your websites; and discuss how networks and the internet function at a high level.

WEEK 2
Designing Your Own Website: HTML Basics
In this module, we'll begin to explore how to design and create websites by exploring the base language used to power all websites: HTML. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to: identify and use common HTML tags; add an image to a webpage; create HTML-formatted tables; use hyperlinks to connect a series of webpages; upload your finished HTML pages to a web host; and, learn some tips and tricks for styling pages and practicing your coding.

WEEK 3
Introduction to Programming Using JavaScript
Now that you know some basic HTML, it's time to turn our attention to another common scripting language used to make websites dynamic - that is allowing users to interact with your webpages - JavaScript. While learning about JavaScript, you'll also gain some foundational knowledge common to all programming languages. By the end of this module, you'll be able to: discuss what is meant by dynamic content; perform essential programming language tasks; create simple JavaScript programs; use JavaScript to set up alerts and respond to events, to read input, and to change HTML; and conduct basic JavaScript testing.

WEEK 4
Websites with Style: CSS Properties, Colors and Fonts
While HTML and JavaScript are very useful for web development, they don't exactly make websites look attractive - that's where cascading style sheets, or CSS, comes into play. While HTML is used to build the structure of our pages and JavaScript is used to provide interactive functionality, CSS is used to graphically design and layout webpages. By the end of this module, you'll be able to: discuss common mistakes in designing a website; identify and apply CSS basics like purpose and syntax; use CSS properties to control fonts, colors, layouts, and other common properties; differentiate between in-line, internal, and external CSS; and practice and test your cascading style sheets.

WEEK 5
Creating HTML Forms
In this lesson, we're going to learn to apply all of the skills we've acquired so far to make a very common, and very useful type of webpage - an HTML form. HTML forms are seen everywhere on the internet and are used to capture particular information from users in a variety of ways. By the end of this module you'll be able to: create basic HTML forms; identify and appropriately use different types of HTML input; validate user input; submit HTML forms; and test how your forms are working and troubleshoot errors.

WEEK 6
Creating Web Applications
In our final module, we're going to explore the basics of designing web applications - programming useful and dynamic webpages that allow our users to interact with them. By the end of this lesson you'll be able to: distinguish between client and server-side development; apply advanced JavaScript programming skills to create logic with selection and iteration; create new features for applications; create more advanced HTML forms; and practice and learn additional troubleshooting and problem-solving techniques. The module wraps with a final peer review activity that will draw upon all of the skills you've learned in this course.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Code Yourself! An Introduction to Programming (Coursera) Coursera
University of Edinburgh,Universidad ORT Uruguay

Code Yourself! An Introduction to Programming (Coursera)

Have you ever wished you knew how to program, but had no idea where to start from? This course will teach you how to program in Scratch, an easy to use visual programming language. More importantly, it will introduce you to the fundamental principles of computing and it will help you think like a software engineer.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction and Programming with IoT Boards (Coursera) Coursera
Pohang University of Science and Technology - POSTECH

Introduction and Programming with IoT Boards (Coursera)

Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging area of information and communications technology (ICT) involving many disciplines of computer science and engineering including sensors/actuators, communications networking, server platforms, data analytics and smart applications. IoT is considered to be an essential part of the 4th Industrial Revolution along with AI and Big Data. This course will be very useful to senior undergraduate and graduate students as well as engineers who are working in the industry.

Oct 26th 2026
5-12 Weeks
How to Get Into Web Development (Coursera) Coursera
University of Leeds

How to Get Into Web Development (Coursera)

Adding web development to your skillset is an excellent career move if you are into coding and you seek career growth and advancement. In this online course, you will explore the web development specialisations - front-end, back-end and full-stack development, and understand the different roles in a web development team.

Oct 26th 2026
2 Weeks
Fundamentals of VueJS (Coursera) Coursera
Board Infinity

Fundamentals of VueJS (Coursera)

Welcome to the "Fundamentals of VueJS" course, a comprehensive journey into the world of Vue.js, a versatile and progressive JavaScript framework for building modern web applications. This course is structured into two modules, each designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to become proficient in Vue.js.

Oct 26th 2026
2 Weeks
C++程序设计 (Coursera) Coursera
Peking University

C++程序设计 (Coursera)

讲授C++语言中和面向对象有关的概念和语法,如类和对象、运算符重载、继承和多态、类模板和算法模板、标准模板库等。目标是使得学生能够用C++语言,以面向对象的方法编写可维护性、可扩充性好的,较大规模的程序,初步领会面向对象程序设计方法的优势所在。

Oct 19th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Learn CSS Variables (Coursera) Coursera
Scrimba

Learn CSS Variables (Coursera)

CSS Custom Properties represent a significant advancement for front-end developers, introducing the concept of variables to CSS. This innovation substantially reduces redundancy, enhances code legibility, and augments overall flexibility. Notably, CSS Variables distinguish themselves from their CSS preprocessor counterparts by seamlessly integrating into the Document Object Model (DOM), offering a plethora of advantages.

Oct 26th 2026
1 Week
Build a Mobile App with Firebase (Coursera) Coursera
Scrimba

Build a Mobile App with Firebase (Coursera)

e.g. This is primarily aimed at first- and second-year undergraduates interested in engineering or science, along wiUnlock Your App Development Potential: Creating a Feature-Rich Shopping List App. Are you ready to turn your visionary app ideas into reality? If your answer is a resounding 'YES,' then this course is your gateway to a transformative journey. In this meticulously designed course, we will guide you through the creation of a sophisticated shopping list app using a powerful tech stack, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Firebase. Leveraging Firebase's real-time database capabilities, you'll learn how to store and manage data seamlessly.

Oct 26th 2026
1 Week
The Unix Workbench (Coursera) Coursera
Johns Hopkins University

The Unix Workbench (Coursera)

Unix forms a foundation that is often very helpful for accomplishing other goals you might have for you and your computer, whether that goal is running a business, writing a book, curing disease, or creating the next great app. The means to these goals are sometimes carried out by writing software. Software can’t be mined out of the ground, nor can software seeds be planted in spring to harvest by autumn. Software isn’t produced in factories on an assembly line. Software is a hand-made, often bespoke good. If a software developer is an artisan, then Unix is their workbench.

Oct 26th 2026
4 Weeks