TBE 540 - Programming Applications for Educators is a 3-unit course in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree M. A. in Education, Technology Based Education (TBE) and the Technology Based Education Certificate in the College of Education at California State University Dominguez Hills. TBE 540 is required of all students in the program.

The purpose of the course is to provide instruction in the basics of programming while maintaining a practical orientation. Virtually all students in the TBE program are teachers, rather than network analysts or computer engineers. There is, therefore, no need for them to become expert programmers nor to write operating systems. However, because all students are required to complete a multimedia instructional project using Macromedia Director, there is a need to learn the commonly used concepts of programming. (Director uses a programming language called Lingo to control elements of the screen display.)

HTML with JavaScript is used as instructional programming language in TBE 540. It can be integrated into instruction at any level, is relatively easy to learn, and uses a structured format that will help with Lingo in later courses. HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the coding behind web pages, is technically a formatting (rather than programming) language, but web page development is a very practical skill for teachers. TBE 540 students learn to create web pages using the HTML code as well as using an editor, so they experience some of the requirements of programming. JavaScript, a programming language used to add special features to web pages, is also presented as a method to add interactivity.

For specific course information, see the syllabus for the current semester.