Overview

Updated in May 2025. This course now features Coursera Coach! A smarter way to learn with interactive, real-time conversations that help you test your knowledge, challenge assumptions, and deepen your understanding as you progress through the course. This course provides a solid foundation in JavaScript and DOM manipulation, essential for web development. By the end, you’ll be able to build interactive web applications. You’ll work through hands-on projects and challenges that reinforce key concepts and make learning engaging. The course starts with JavaScript basics, covering variables, data types, operators, and methods. You’ll then progress to more advanced topics like arrays, objects, functions, and the JavaScript execution context. You’ll also learn logic and control flow, enabling you to write complex decision-making code using if statements, loops, and logical operators. The course further covers high-order array methods and efficient iteration techniques with loops. As you advance, you’ll master the Document Object Model (DOM) to interact with web elements, modify properties, and manage styles and classes. You’ll learn techniques for selecting, appending, replacing, and removing elements, as well as how to handle user events to create interactive webpages. Designed for beginners with no prior programming experience, this course will make you proficient in JavaScript and DOM manipulation. You’ll complete practical coding exercises and a final project, where you'll build a shopping list app, reinforcing your skills and preparing you for more advanced web development challenges.

Syllabus

Course Introduction

In this module, we will introduce the course, provide an overview of the key topics and projects, and outline the tools and technologies you'll need to succeed. You'll be guided through setting up your development environment, ensuring you're ready to dive into JavaScript fundamentals.

Variables, Data Types, Methods, and More

In this module, we will cover the basics of JavaScript programming, including how to work with variables, data types, and operators. You'll also learn how to use JavaScript methods to manipulate strings and numbers, providing you with the tools to write basic programs and solve problems.

Arrays and Objects

In this module, we will dive deep into arrays and objects in JavaScript, exploring how to create, modify, and access their elements. You'll also learn how to work with JSON data and destructuring, enhancing your ability to handle complex data structures in real-world applications.

Functions, Scope, and Execution Context

In this module, we will explore the concept of functions in JavaScript, focusing on how they work within different scopes. You'll also gain an understanding of how JavaScript handles execution context, a key concept for managing function calls and variable lifecycles.

Logic and Control Flow

In this module, we will explore the core concepts of logic and control flow, learning how to make decisions in code using conditionals and loops. These foundational skills will help you structure your code effectively and solve more complex problems.

Loops, Iteration, and High-Order Array Methods

In this module, we will dive into loops and iteration, teaching you how to use them to work with collections of data. You'll also learn high-order array methods that make data manipulation easier and more efficient, enabling you to write cleaner, more concise code.

DOM Manipulation

In this module, we will focus on how JavaScript interacts with the Document Object Model (DOM) to modify web page content. You'll learn how to manipulate elements, styles, and classes dynamically, bringing interactivity and responsiveness to your websites.

Events

In this module, we will explore events in JavaScript and learn how to handle user interactions such as clicks, key presses, and form submissions. You'll also discover how to use event delegation to improve performance when dealing with multiple elements.

Shopping List Project

In this module, we will apply everything you've learned to build a fully functional shopping list application. You'll gain hands-on experience by adding, removing, and editing items, storing data in local storage, and deploying your project online.