WordPress Development

WordPress Development Course Outline

Course Title: WordPress Development

Course Duration: 12 Weeks

Course Level: Beginner to Intermediate

Course Description:

This course offers a thorough introduction to WordPress development, guiding students from the basics of setting up a WordPress site to more advanced concepts such as theme and plugin development. Designed for beginners to intermediate learners, the course provides practical, hands-on experience that equips students with the skills necessary to develop, manage, and optimize WordPress websites effectively. By the end of the course, students will be capable of creating custom themes, developing plugins, and optimizing WordPress sites for performance and security, setting a solid foundation for a career in WordPress development.

Week 1: Introduction to WordPress

Topics:

  • Overview of WordPress: Understanding what WordPress is, its history, and why it’s the most popular Content Management System (CMS) on the web.
  • WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Differentiating between the two platforms and understanding the pros and cons of each. Emphasis will be placed on the flexibility and control offered by WordPress.org.
  • Installing WordPress Locally and on a Server: Step-by-step guide on setting up WordPress on a local development environment (using tools like XAMPP, WAMP, or MAMP) and installing it on a live server.
  • Dashboard Tour: Familiarizing students with the WordPress dashboard, exploring the various menus, options, and settings available.

Activities:

  • Set up WordPress on a Local Server: Students will install WordPress locally to gain hands-on experience with the setup process.
  • Explore the WordPress Dashboard: Navigate the dashboard to understand its structure and key components.

Assignments:

  • Write a Blog Post Introducing Yourself: This assignment will help students practice creating content and familiarize themselves with the WordPress editor.

Week 2: Content Management

Topics:

  • Creating and Managing Posts and Pages: Learn the differences between posts and pages, how to create and edit them, and best practices for content management.
  • Categories and Tags: Understand how to organize content using categories and tags, and the role they play in SEO and site navigation.
  • Media Library: Uploading and Managing Media: Explore the Media Library, learn how to upload and manage images, videos, and other media files.
  • Using the Block Editor (Gutenberg): Introduction to the Gutenberg editor, focusing on how to use blocks to create rich, dynamic content.

Activities:

  • Create Various Types of Posts and Pages: Students will create a variety of content types to practice using the WordPress editor and organizing their site’s content.
  • Organize Content with Categories and Tags: Practical exercises in categorizing and tagging posts for better site structure and SEO.

Assignments:

  • Build a Simple Blog with Posts and Pages: This project will reinforce the concepts of content creation, organization, and management.

Week 3: Themes and Customization

Topics:

  • Installing and Activating Themes: Learn how to browse the WordPress theme directory, install themes, and activate them to change the site’s appearance.
  • Customizing Themes Using the Customizer: Explore the WordPress Customizer tool to modify theme settings, including colors, fonts, and layouts, without touching code.
  • Introduction to Child Themes: Understand what child themes are, why they are important for customizing themes without losing updates, and how to create one.
  • Basic Theme Development: An introduction to the structure of WordPress themes, including templates, template hierarchy, and the role of CSS and PHP in themes.

Activities:

  • Customize an Existing Theme: Students will use the Customizer to modify a theme’s appearance based on specific requirements.
  • Create a Child Theme: Hands-on activity to create a child theme, modify it, and understand how changes affect the parent theme.

Assignments:

  • Customize a Theme to Match a Given Design: Students will be given a design mockup and will be required to customize a theme to closely match the design.

Week 4: Plugins and Extensions

Topics:

  • Introduction to Plugins: Understand what plugins are, how they extend the functionality of WordPress, and the role of the WordPress Plugin Repository.
  • Installing and Managing Plugins: Learn how to search for, install, activate, and manage plugins. Discussion on plugin compatibility and updates.
  • Essential Plugins for WordPress Sites: Overview of must-have plugins for SEO, security, performance, and content management.
  • Creating a Simple Plugin: Introduction to plugin development, focusing on the structure of a WordPress plugin and how to create a basic plugin.

Activities:

  • Install and Configure Essential Plugins: Students will install and configure essential plugins like Yoast SEO, Akismet, and caching plugins.
  • Develop a Simple Plugin: Hands-on activity where students will create a simple plugin that adds a custom feature to their WordPress site.

Assignments:

  • Create a Plugin that Adds a Custom Feature to the Site: This assignment will challenge students to think creatively about extending WordPress functionality through custom plugins.

Week 5: WordPress Settings and Configuration

Topics:

  • General Settings: Explore the general settings of a WordPress site, including site title, tagline, timezone, and other global settings.
  • Reading and Writing Settings: Understand the options for controlling how content is displayed and how content is published.
  • Discussion Settings: Learn how to manage comments, trackbacks, and pingbacks, and implement moderation settings.
  • Permalinks and URL Structures: Discuss the importance of permalinks for SEO and how to configure them.

Activities:

  • Configure Settings for a WordPress Site: Students will configure all the key settings for a WordPress site, optimizing it for performance and SEO.
  • Optimize Permalinks for SEO: Practical exercise in setting up SEO-friendly URL structures.

Assignments:

  • Set Up a Site with Optimal Settings for Performance and SEO: This task will involve configuring all essential settings for a site, with a focus on performance and SEO best practices.

Week 6: User Management and Security

Topics:

  • User Roles and Capabilities: Understand the different user roles in WordPress (Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, Subscriber) and what capabilities each role has.
  • Adding and Managing Users: Learn how to add new users, assign roles, and manage user permissions.
  • Securing a WordPress Site: Explore best practices for securing a WordPress site, including securing the login process, using strong passwords, and limiting login attempts.
  • Backup and Recovery: Discuss the importance of regular backups and how to set up automated backups for WordPress sites.

Activities:

  • Add and Configure User Roles: Students will practice adding users to their site and assigning them appropriate roles.
  • Implement Security Measures: Hands-on activities to implement security plugins and measures to protect the WordPress site from common vulnerabilities.

Assignments:

  • Create a Secure WordPress Site with Multiple User Roles: This project will require students to set up a site with multiple user roles and implement security measures to protect the site.

Week 7: Theme Development

Topics:

  • WordPress Theme Structure: Deep dive into the structure of WordPress themes, including key files like index.php, style.css, and functions.php.
  • The Loop and Template Hierarchy: Understanding how WordPress processes and displays content using the Loop and how the template hierarchy works.
  • Creating Custom Templates: Learn how to create custom templates for specific pages, posts, or custom post types.
  • Enqueuing Styles and Scripts: Discuss the proper way to add CSS and JavaScript files to a theme using the wp_enqueue_style() and wp_enqueue_script() functions.

Activities:

  • Develop a Custom Theme from Scratch: Students will start building a custom theme, focusing on understanding the template hierarchy and the Loop.
  • Create Custom Page Templates: Hands-on activity to create custom templates for different types of content.

Assignments:

  • Build a Custom Theme with a Unique Design: Students will design and develop a complete custom theme, applying everything they’ve learned about theme structure and customization.

Week 8: Advanced Theme Customization

Topics:

  • Using Theme Customizer API: Learn how to extend the WordPress Customizer to add custom settings and controls for themes.
  • Adding Custom Widgets: Understand how to create and register custom widgets in WordPress.
  • Creating Custom Post Types: Learn how to create and manage custom post types for content beyond the default posts and pages.
  • Integrating Custom Taxonomies: Explore how to create and use custom taxonomies to organize custom post types and other content.

Activities:

  • Add Custom Widgets to a Theme: Students will create and add custom widgets to their theme, enhancing its functionality.
  • Create Custom Post Types and Taxonomies: Hands-on activity to create and manage custom post types and taxonomies.

Assignments:

  • Enhance a Theme with Advanced Customizations: Students will enhance their custom theme with widgets, custom post types, and taxonomies, adding depth to their site’s structure and functionality.

Week 9: Plugin Development

Topics:

  • WordPress Plugin API: Introduction to the WordPress Plugin API, focusing on how to interact with WordPress core functionality through hooks and filters.
  • Creating Custom Shortcodes: Learn how to create custom shortcodes to add dynamic content to posts and pages.
  • Using Hooks: Actions and Filters: Deep dive into actions and filters, understanding how to modify WordPress behavior using hooks.
  • Plugin Security Best Practices: Discuss security best practices for plugin development, including sanitization, validation, and nonces.

Activities:

  • Develop a Plugin with Custom Shortcodes: Students will create a plugin that includes custom shortcodes, enhancing the functionality of their WordPress site.
  • Implement Actions and Filters in a Plugin: Practical exercise in using actions and filters to modify site behavior and add custom functionality.

Assignments:

  • Create a Robust Plugin with Security Best Practices: This project will challenge students to develop a plugin that adheres to security best practices, ensuring it is safe and secure for use on WordPress sites.

Week 10: Working with REST API

Topics:

  • Introduction to WordPress REST API: Understand the basics of the WordPress REST API, including how it works and what it can do.
  • Fetching Data from REST API: Learn how to fetch and display data from the WordPress REST API in themes and plugins.
  • Creating Custom REST API Endpoints: Understand how to create custom REST API endpoints to extend the functionality of WordPress.
  • Using REST API in Themes and Plugins: Explore how to integrate REST API calls into themes and plugins to enhance interactivity and data management.

Activities:

  • Fetch and Display Data Using REST API: Hands-on activity to fetch and display data from the REST API in a WordPress theme.
  • Create Custom REST API Endpoints: Students will create custom endpoints to expose new data or functionality through the REST API.

Assignments:

  • Develop a Feature that Uses REST API to Interact with External Data: This assignment will require students to create a feature that uses the REST API to interact with external data, demonstrating their ability to integrate APIs into WordPress.

Week 11: Performance Optimization

Topics:

  • Caching Techniques: Learn about different caching methods, including browser caching, server-side caching, and object caching, and how they can improve site performance.
  • Optimizing Images and Media: Discuss best practices for optimizing images and media files for faster loading times without sacrificing quality.
  • Database Optimization: Understand how to optimize the WordPress database to improve performance, including cleaning up unnecessary data and optimizing queries.
  • Performance Testing Tools: Explore tools like GTmetrix, Google PageSpeed Insights, and Pingdom to test and analyze site performance.

Activities:

  • Implement Caching on a WordPress Site: Students will implement caching solutions on their WordPress site to enhance performance.
  • Optimize a Site for Performance: Practical exercise in optimizing images, media, and the database to improve site speed.

Assignments:

  • Optimize a WordPress Site and Measure Performance Improvements: This project will challenge students to apply optimization techniques to a WordPress site and measure the results using performance testing tools.

Week 12: Final Project and Review

Topics:

  • Planning and Building a Complete WordPress Site: Students will apply everything they’ve learned to plan, design, and develop a fully functional WordPress site.
  • Best Practices and Industry Standards: Review best practices in WordPress development, including coding standards, documentation, and maintenance.
  • Review and Q&A: Open session for students to ask questions, review difficult topics, and prepare for the final project presentation.

Activities:

  • Develop a Full-Featured WordPress Site as a Final Project: Students will work on their final project, developing a comprehensive WordPress site that showcases their skills.
  • Present the Project to the Class: Each student will present their final project, explaining their design choices, development process, and the challenges they overcame.

Assignments:

  • Complete and Present the Final Project: The final project is a culmination of all the skills learned throughout the course. Students will be assessed on their ability to develop a professional, functional WordPress site.

Assessment:

  • Weekly Assignments and Quizzes: Each week’s learning will be reinforced through assignments and quizzes, ensuring students understand the material before moving on to more advanced topics.
  • Midterm Project: Midway through the course, students will complete a project that demonstrates their understanding of key concepts covered so far.
  • Final Project Presentation: The course will conclude with a final project presentation, where students showcase the WordPress site they’ve developed.

This detailed course outline provides a structured approach to learning WordPress development, ensuring that students build a strong foundation and progressively develop more advanced skills. By the end of the 12 weeks, students will have the knowledge and practical experience to confidently develop and manage WordPress sites, positioning themselves as capable WordPress developers.