We live in an "information society." Information has become essential to our social, economic, and political interactions—we interact with others via e-mail, text messaging, and social networking sites; we shop and do our jobs over the internet; we learn about politics from surfing the web or voice our opinions by blogging. The technologies that enable these activities provide us with new opportunities, but also shape our experiences in ways that we might not be aware of. New information technologies such as the internet, databases, and computer surveillance provide new challenges to our understanding of such issues as privacy, intellectual freedom, equality, and intellectual property.
In this course, we will explore how information technologies—from the emergence of the use of symbols, through the development of the book, to today’s Web 2.0 shape our lives and our culture. We will explore the benefits and the possible dangers of new and emerging information technologies. We will approach these and other issues from a multidisciplinary perspective, looking at the insights into our information age that can be provided by such areas of inquiry as history, linguistics sociology, political theory, information science, and philosophy. The course will not only critically analyze new information technologies, it will use such technologies to deliver the course—providing opportunities for active reflection on the ways in which technology shape learning and social interaction.
Topics Covered:
- The History of Information and Information Technologies
- The Information Economy
- Intellectual Property and the Open Source Movementf
- Surveillance and Privacy
- Virtual Reality and Social Life
- Information Technology, Democracy, and Regulation
- The Web as a force for Localization and Globalization
The goal of the course is to equip students with the conceptual tools to understand, engage, and critique the evolving “infosphere” in which we live.
Texts:
- Duguid, Paul and Brown, John Seely. 2002. The Social Life of Information. Harvard Business School Press (1st edition).
- Webster, Frank. 2003. The Information Society Reader. Routledge.
- Sunstein, Cass R. 2006. Infotopia: How Many Minds Produce Knowledge. Oxford University Press, USA.
Short Assignments—Students will select an issue from one of the readings and write a 1-2 paragraph reflection on this issue. The reflection should illustrate a claim in the reading with a real world example, raise an objection to a claim in the reading, relate the issues in one reading to another, etc. Or they will use and reflect on various information media and websites, as SecondLife, Google, Wikipedia, Facebook, Youtube, etc.
Discussion Participation—Students will engage in discussions weekly. Discussions will include posting of the weekly reflections 3 times during the semester as a prompt for class discussion. In addition, there will be discussions on particular topics as assigned by the instructor.
Study Guide—Students will complete a study guide on a topic of their choosing.
Exams—There will be a mid-term and final. Exams will be essay and short answer. They will be open book and open notes.
Graduate Student Paper—In addition to the other assignments, graduate students will write a 10-15 page research paper on some aspect of the information society and its impact on the 21st Century Information Professions.
Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor.
Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate.Incompletes
The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 readsThe grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incompete grade before the end of the semester ...
If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.
Undergraduate
|
Assignment |
Percentage |
|
Study Guide |
15 |
|
Discussion |
30 |
|
Short Assignments |
25 |
|
Exams |
30 |
Graduate
|
Assignment |
Percentage |
|
Study Guide |
15 |
|
Discussion |
15 |
|
Short Assignments |
15 |
|
Exams |
30 |
|
Paper |
25 |
