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Rich Internet Application Teaching Resources

Rich Internet Application Teaching Resources

Rich Internet Applications (RIA) combine the flexibility of desktop applications with the broad reach of the web. RIAs are interactive and engaging, combining an online and off-line experience. To prepare students with the right skills for this new realm of application development that impacts interactivity and visual design and connects designers and developers more closely, institutions must plan courses and course content. Working with faculty from higher education institutions, we’ve put together resources for teaching RIA design and development across a variety of courses, such as Human Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, and Introduction to Computer Programming.

These resources fall into three categories:

Course Projects

Here are two use cases for RIA technologies as used by designers and developers. Students can apply the knowledge learned in the Online Workshop modules through these projects.

Designer's Focus

The downloadable project files include the requirements document and sample content. This project covers user interface design concepts:

  • Planning the design of an application
  • User-centered design
  • Interaction design principles
  • Navigation
  • Visual branding and identity creation

Students design an RIA UI design and create a prototype.

Developer's Focus

The downloadable project files include a requirements document, sample content, and files depicting one possible solution for the visual design. This project covers translating a designer’s prototype into a functioning application, including:

  • Data and event handling and XML integration
  • User interface components
  • XML manipulation
  • Event management
  • Testing and bug checking / management
  • Deploying applications for the web and desktop

Students develop a Flex web application and an AIR desktop application.


Sample completed project:

Project Ideas

The following sample project ideas provide a requirements document as a starting point for students developing rich Internet application prototypes or functional applications.

Designer Projects

Developer Projects

Advanced Designer/Developer Project

Online Workshop Modules

Download the project archive files to follow along with this online workshop that provides a theoretical introduction to the basic capabilities and workflow in Flex Builder 3. For more in-depth information on any of the topics covered below, view some of the suggested texts in the Supporting Books section of this site.
Introduction (8 min)


Supporting Books