School of Information Resources and Library Science

Software, Browsers, Plug-ins, and Other Devices

I recommend that you use Firefox as the Web browser on your PC or Mac.

If you continue to run another browser on your PC or Mac, be sure that you have the most recent version and, for Internet Explorer, install the most recent service packs and updates. If you use IE, go to Microsoft 's Windows Update to check for the latest Microsoft updates for your computer. You must also have current versions of these browser plug-ins: Flash, Acrobat, Real, QuickTime, and MediaPlayer.

I highly recommend keeping as up-to-date as possible with all software, if for no other reason than to have the most recent security fixes. If you don't have anti-virus software, a firewall, and software to detect and remove spyware running on your personal computer, I strongly recommend that you go out today and purchase a package, install it, and keep it up-to-date. The last thing you want to do is pass a virus along to me and your classmates. Consult the UA site license pages for free software that you can download and install. The LTC tech support staff member recommends Sophos, including those of us using Macs. Microsoft offers Windows Defender, a free tool protecting against spyware and other sorts of malware. If you are running Windows XP, take advantage of its Security Center and use its automatic updates feature.

Course Readings

Some course readings are on the Web and are linked within the course website. In accordance to copyright and fair use requirements, certain readings will be available only through logging in to WebAuth, the UA's NetID authentication system. You are encouraged to recommend readings that you think are valuable to the class via our discussion forums and your blogs.

USB Headphone/Mic

Because you will be creating podcasts and using Skype for voice over internet (VOIP), you will need a good set of headphones and a microphone. I recommend that you invest in a USB headphone/microphone combination. You can get a good set for approximately $40-$50. Poorly recorded audio -- that is, audio with crackle and static sounds -- will not be accepted.

Course Blogs

As noted earlier, you will use a blog to post exercises and assignments. You are expected to post other entries on your blog that are relevant to the course and you should regularly read what others have posted. You are required to read five of those students' entries and make a substantive comment to at least two. Failure to do so may result in a loss of up to three points from your final grade.

The blogs for this course may not to be used for personal purposes. I reserve the right to edit or delete any entries or comments that are not written in a professional and courteous manner. Comments that I submit and that other students submit should be read and approved within 48 hours of receiving an email notification.

Blog entries should be prepared with the same quality with which you would prepare any written assignment for a master's level course. I expect well written sentences and paragraphs, thoughtfully developed points, and appropriately formatted entries. Include an introduction and conclusion; include citations and references to articles that you have read, whether found on the Web or in print sources. This is how we all can learn and expand our knowledge on the topics. When you cite something found on the Web, it should be linked in your entry. This is easy to do in our blog software. You don't need to know HTML. Every blog entry you write must include links.

I have a professor's blog for this course. Click on the blogs tab in the upper left area of any course webpage to retrieve the course blogs homepage. I recommend that you use Firefox's Live Bookmarks for my and your classmates' blogs. I will also send notifications when I publish a blog entry.

Student Podcasts

All students are required to make podcasts. Student podcasts should be at least 4 minutes in length -- nothing less than 4 minutes will be accepted. Content for each podcast is assigned on the course content page. Consult my guide to creating podcasts for information on the hardware and software you need to create your podcasts. To assure that your podcast audio is of sufficient quality I recommend a USB headphone/microphone combination. You will also use this for our VOIP conversations. Your podcasts will be submitted to me in your D2L dropbox.

Discussion Forums

We will use our Desire2Learn (D2L) learning management system to host discussion forums. There is a forum created for each module and you may use it to share comments or ask questions. Periodically, I will initiate forum discussions and give you topics to discuss in my podcasts or presentations. Think about what you write in a forum before posting it.

If you are new to D2L, or want a refresher on any of its functionality, visit D2L "Help For Students."

Attendance

Students will fulfill the University's requirement of 45 fifty minute course meeting hours through our Wednesday class meetings, course readings, exercises, activities, contributions to online discussions, by reading and commenting on other students' blog entries, and other synchronous or asynchronous communications. Lurking, not submitting assignments in a timely manner, and not responding to emails from the professor within 48 hours are not acceptable behaviors. Let me know in advance if you will be inaccessible at any time during the course for more than two days.

Student participation begins the first day of fall semester classes. Lurking, not participating, and falling behind in completing required work are not acceptable behaviors. Neither is disruptive behavior. I may initiate an administrative drop for anyone practicing such behavior or who creates a disruptive atmosphere in the course.

Coursework Requirements and Guidelines

I will communicate primarily to students individually and as a group via D2L email, UA email, and my professor's blog. Students should check their D2L account regularly for information from me about the course, assignments, and answers to questions that other students have raised. You should be checking each day to read forum entries that I and other students have posted. As noted earlier in this syllabus, you should not take longer than 48 hours to respond to emails that I send to you.

As a SIRLS student, you have a responsibility to have reliable access to a personal computer and high-speed Internet access. Both are needed to satisfactorily participate in this course. You have activities and exercises that involve retrieving resources over the Web and playing high bandwidth applications such as digital audio and video. You can not do this successfully on a dial-up modem connection. I provide a list of the software you must have in the course's Introduction module. You should have the latest versions installed and configured on your computers by the first day of Fall classes, August 20, 2007. Contact me immediately, if you do not own your own computer.

Citing References

To properly cite a reference, consult a style guide. Written assignments in this course must use the most recent version of an approved style manual: Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations; MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers; The Chicago Manual of Style; Electronic Styles: A Handbook For Citing Electronic Information. Also, check out the Internet Public Library's Style and Writing Guides section and the UA Library's Citation Guide.