[phugoid]

Right now, I am taking the equivalent course to yours in an online CS masters program.

The best thing they've done is structure the entire course around building a web database app. They provide a real-world description of what's needed, and break it down into big chunks that are synchronized to the content of the course's three exams. This gives a clear over-arching goal to the class. For people who have never build web db apps, they will really feel like they've accomplished something by the end.