Summer 08

IRLS520-001 Ethics for Library and Information Professionals

Tue, 05/06/2008 - 16:55 — kmathies

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

Ethics for Library and Information Professionals

IRLS520 Secton 001

This is a core course for the SIRLS Masters degree. Prerequisites: 504 or permission of the culture.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

"Study of the basics of ethical theory and its application to problems in information management. Application and development of ethical codes in case studies."

Content of the Course

Information professionals play an extremely important role in society. And it is critical that they carry out their mission in an ethical manner. Toward this end, many organizations of information professionals have adopted codes of professional ethics. See, for example, ALA’s Code of Ethics and ASIST’s Professional Guidelines.

Such codes of professional ethics provide information professionals with guiding principles. However, there are a number of reasons why information professionals need to understand the ethical reasoning that justifies acting in accordance with these principles. First, it is no simple matter to apply these principles to particular concrete situations. An understanding of the underlying ethical reasoning can help us to apply these principles to such situations. Second, these principles often come into conflict with other obligations that we have. (They can even come into conflict with each other.) An understanding of the underlying ethical reasoning can help us to resolve such conflicts. Third, our ethical duties can be supported by or come into conflict with various organizational rules, public policy, and laws. An understanding of the relationship between law and ethics and the basic principles of public policy and legal theory will help us act within the law and advocate for change when that is appropriate.

In this course, we will study the various ethical theories that have been proposed by philosophers. We will then apply these theories to the ethical dilemmas that most commonly confront information professionals. We will also look more in depth at public policy, economic, and legal issues surrounding the provision of information and library services. In particular, we will focus on issues such as intellectual freedom, equitable access to information, privacy, and intellectual property. In addition, we will look at how advances in information technology have created new ethical dilemmas.

Students will be encouraged to develop their own views on the issues. These views will be developed and defended, however, in relation to understanding of ethical theory and key aspects of information policy and law.

Teaching/Learning Methods

This course will be delivered virtually through d2l. The course will include such assignments and activities as reading or listening to on-line lectures, engaging in on-line discussions, journaling, writing short summary pieces and longer papers, and presenting research via virtual presentations.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this course you should:

Know how to explain and apply the main ethical theories.
Be able to analyze and provide reasoned responses to ethical dilemmas.
Know the basics of professional ethics.
Know, be able to apply and analyze the ALA Code of Ethics and Library Bill of Rights.
Understand privacy concerns.
Know the basics of intellectual property policy.
Be able to defend principles of Intellectual freedom
Be aware of possible conflicts between various values and how to resolve these conflicts.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Readings:

The readings for this course will be from various sources, book chapters, journal articles, and on-line lectures and guides. There will be a link to the readings from the Course Reading List (see attached below). Some readings are on the web; other readings are available online from the UA Library; still other readings are available through electronic reserves. The password will be provided when classes begin.

Textbook:

There is no required text for this course. However, the following book on information ethics is highly recommended:

Spinello, Richard A. 1995. Ethical Aspects of Information Technology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

The Course Outline has more information about the due dates for specific assignments and is attached below.

Individual Project/Presentation: Students will pursue an individual project on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor. They will present the results of this project to the class.

Midterm: The midterm will be open book and open notes. The midterm will cover the basic ethical theories and ask students to explain and analyze these theories as well as apply them to various cases.

Short Assignments: Short writing assignments will ask students to do such things as dissect the readings, apply theories to cases, and analyze information issues in the news.

Participation: The participation grade will include participation in on-line discussion. Students will be evaluated on the basis of both the frequency and the quality of their participation.

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

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.

Assignment Policies

How to submit your assignments: Students should submit their assignments via the D2L drop box.

Assignment due dates: All assignments and exams are due in the D2L drop box by midnight on the due date. (Due dates will be listed on the course schedule.) No late work will be accepted without a pre-approved excuse. You must contact me in advance to get approval to turn in work late. Even with permission to turn in work late, work may be docked as much as a third of a grade for every day it is late.

Writing style: Student written work should be free of grammatical or spelling errors. All sources should be clearly documented. (Any documentation style is fine as long as it is used consistently.)

GRADING:

Graded Assignments

Individual Project 30%

Midterm 25%

Short Assignments 25%

Participation 20%

All assignments (except for individual short assignments) will be graded out of 100 points on a standard scale. Individual short assignments will be graded check (full credit), check-plus (extra credit), check-minus (partial credit). The overall grade for the short assignments will be on a 100 point scale (someone who got a check for all assignments will have a 100 for the short assignments).

The final grades will be given as follows:

A	100-90
B	89-80
C	79-70
D	69-60

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

E-mail: kmathies@email.arizona.edu

Office hours: Second Life office hours Wednesday 9-10 (Tucson time) and by appointment.

SL office hours are held at in MarillaAnne's Grey Hare - Coffee Shop, Book Nook, Art Gallery on Ohana Isle. Once you've set up your Avatar in Second Life you can go there by clicking on this link: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ohana%20Isle/24/228/22

Real Life Office: SIRLS Room 6 (RL office hours during summer only by appointment.)

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IRLS520-031 Ethics for Library and Information Professionals

Tue, 05/06/2008 - 10:32 — kmathies

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

Ethics for Library and Information Professionals

IRLS520 Secton 031

This is a core course for the SIRLS Masters degree. Prerequisite: 504 or consent of the instructor.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

"Study of the basics of ethical theory and its application to problems in information management. Application and development of ethical codes in case studies."

Content of the Course

Teaching/Learning Methods

This course will be delivered over three weekendsl. The course will include such assignments and activities as listening to lectures, engaging in class and small-group discussions, writing short summary pieces and longer papers, and presenting research via an in-class presentation.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this course you should:

Know how to explain and apply the main ethical theories.
Be able to analyze and provide reasoned responses to ethical dilemmas.
Know the basics of professional ethics.
Know, be able to apply and analyze the ALA Code of Ethics and Library Bill of Rights.
Understand privacy concerns.
Know the basics of intellectual property policy.
Be able to defend principles of Intellectual freedom
Be aware of possible conflicts between various values and how to resolve these conflicts.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Readings:

The readings for this course will be from various sources, book chapters, journal articles, and on-line lectures and guides. Readings are available on the Course Reading List (see attached file). Some readings are on the web; other readings are available online from the UA Library; still other readings are available through electronic reserves. The password will be provided when classes begin.

Textbook:

There is no required text for this course. However, the following book on information ethics is highly recommended:

Spinello, Richard A. 1995. Ethical Aspects of Information Technology. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

A number of assignments will need to be completed before the first weekend session. See the Course Outline (see attached file) for details. The d2l site for the course will also have this information posted and will be available one week before the course starts.

Individual Project/Presentation: Students will pursue an individual project on a topic chosen in consultation with the professor. They will present the results of this project to the class.

Short Assignments: Short writing assignments will ask students to do such things as dissect the readings, apply theories to cases, and analyze information issues in the news.

Participation: The participation grade will include participation in on-line discussion. Students will be evaluated on the basis of both the frequency and the quality of their participation.

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Academic Code of Integrity

Accommodating Disabilities

Assignment Policies

How to submit your assignments: Students should submit their assignments via the D2L drop box. They should also bring hard copies of their short assignments to class in order to foster in-class discussion.

Writing style: Student written work should be free of grammatical or spelling errors. All sources should be clearly documented. (Any documentation style is fine as long as it is used consistently.)

GRADING:

Graded Assignments

Individual Project30%

Midterm25%

Short Assignments25%

Participation20%

The final grades will be given as follows:

A	100-90
B	89-80
C	79-70
D	69-60

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

E-mail: kmathies@email.arizona.edu
Office hours: Second Life office hours Wednesday 9-10 (Tucson time) and by appointment. (Real life office hours during summer only by appointment.)

RL Office: SIRLS Room 6

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IRLS541-031 Preservation

Sat, 04/19/2008 - 10:38 — silverut

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

[Prerequisite: IRLS 504 or consent of the instructor.]

Randy Silverman

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course provides an introduction to the preservation of library materials. The curriculum includes an overview of the causes of physical and chemical deterioration to various forms of library media and explores the body of knowledge related to ameliorating these problems. The sequence includes a history of papermaking and book production for the purpose of understanding the physical “stuff” of traditional library collections, as well as addressing some non-book media including digital. Inherent causes of book and paper deterioration will be discussed in relation to currently accepted standards for book and paper conservation. Current replication practices will be contrasted with older methods. The role of preventive measures, including appropriate care and handling, archival housing, the use of alkaline paper, and environmental control will be explored. Technical aspects of commercial library binding, in-house book repair, and rare book conservation will be evaluated. Approaches to disaster preparedness and response will also be reviewed.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

∙ Knowledge of the history of books, paper, photographs, and related library media (including paper, parchment, microforms, phonograph records, magnetic tape, and digital media), the ways in which information packages have evolved during the past 4,500 years, some of the noteworthy contributors (papermakers, printers, illustrators, typographers, bookbinders, and designers) who are responsible for this evolution, and the types of physical and chemical deterioration that affect these materials.
∙ Knowledge of current book and paper conservation options for decelerating deterioration including preventive conservation strategies such as the use of appropriate environmental controls, care in collection handling and storage, and proper exhibit practices.
∙ Knowledge of current book and paper conservation treatment options for repairing library and archival media, including library binding, book repair, and rare book and paper conservation methodologies.
∙ Knowledge of ethical considerations related to the preservation of historical, culturally significant library material versus replication of media for access purposes.
∙ Knowledge of disaster planning and response options.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Required Texts (to be read by the first class meeting) — A single text book that provides a broad introduction to the field of library preservation is very difficult to identify. Readings from a number of sources are therefore required to gain a broad overview of the subject. This semester we will use three books as required readings: one deals with the hubris of dogmatic behavior; the second deals with standard approaches to library and archives preservation problems; and the third provides an argument for the importance of original material in research libraries (two of the three are available without charge as web documents; the third can probably be procured on the out-of-print market).

The first is quite controversial among some librarians and preservation professionals (many have an opinion about it although few can claim to have actually read it!). The book takes the position that national preservation practices, especially during the past couple of decades, resulted in a significant loss of historical material.

Baker, Nicholson, Double fold : Libraries and the assault on paper (New York : Random House, 2001).

Double fold was the 2001 National Book Critics Circle Award winner for general nonfiction. (Founded in 1974, The National Book Critics Circle consists of nearly 700 active book reviewers, interested in communicating with one another about common concerns, annually presenting an award for the best book in five categories: fiction, general nonfiction, biography/autobiography, poetry, and criticism). This is a very well written and researched text (a real page turner!) that I hope you’ll enjoy.

The second required reading is a series of leaflets developed over the years by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) for their institutional clients to answer commonly-asked preservation questions. There is no requirement to purchase this material as each can be accessed online and downloaded at: http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php

There are 58 leaflets, so this is going to require a serious commitment.

The third required reading is an argument concerning the need to preserve material in original format to support the long-term research needs of scholars.
Nichols, Stephen G., and Abby Smith, The evidence in hand: report of the Task Force on the Artifact in Library Collections (Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information Resources, 2001). 114 p. This publication can be downloaded in its entirety at: http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/pub103.pdf

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Participation
Students are expected to attend class, complete all assigned readings prior to class, participate in the class discussions, practicums, on the class listserve, and complete a research paper or project. Research papers or projects can be sent to me as an email attachment or by US Mail at the contact information at the top of this syllabus. Every student is also expected to send me a self evaluation which is described below.

Research Paper or Project
Your research paper or project will be graded on four criteria:
1) relevance of the argument to the general topic of library preservation and material culture
2) interest the topic holds for a reader (in this case, that would be me)
3) intellectual strength and evidence of depth of involvement in the research, and,
4) quality of the mechanics of the paper (organization, grammar, spelling, footnoting, etc. or project).

If your choice is to produce a project, the three-dimensional work should be carefully prepared and include commentary interpreting the work for the observer (e.g., Why did you produce this work? What went into the work’s creation, including research conducted? How is the work useful to you or to others in the profession?).

The topic you choose should be one that has meaning for you and provides an opportunity for you to synthesize the course. The paper should be as long as necessary to present a thoughtful, informative and interesting piece of research, but should be short enough to have publication possibilities in professional journals. Collaborative work with one or more classmates is welcome, as long as each individual independently submits a unique paper or project. Poor physical presentation of the work, including misspellings, grammatical errors, inadequate footnoting, and the like will result in a lower grade. All papers should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point type, and prepared in a consistent manner using a standard style guide appropriate to the journal you envision publishing the piece. Papers should be well edited, grammatically correct, and written using standard English. Sources from which information is derived should be accurately cited, including the page number(s) of the citation (please note: a citation is an opportunity to lead the reader into an ongoing exploration of the topic; please try to be as encouraging as possible and help the reader know where to turn for further information).

Extra credit (one half letter grade) is available for submitting papers to a qualified reader (including one of your classmates) for proofreading and editorial comment prior to submitting it to me. This should resultant in a tighter, more carefully groomed piece of work than would otherwise be the case (this is a norm prior to all submissions for publication and, if you have not submitted articles for publication to date, you should start to assume that getting feedback from an astute reader is an extremely valuable step in the writing process).

Beyond the proficiency of the written or three dimensional work (the strength and organization of the argument, the overall readability or craftsmanship of the piece, etc.), I would very much like to see your research and writing benefit you. I sincerely encourage you to select a topic relevant to the themes of this class that allows you to develop areas of interest to you. You can run your ideas past me if you are at all unsure of a direction, and I may be able to help suggest some topics, but please (please) feel free to chose your own direction for this work. This is an opportunity for you to take control of your library school education and invest your time in an area that is meaningful for your own professional development.

While the sky is the limit as far as a topic goes (as, indeed, it is any time you choose to write an article for a professional journal), I expect some clear link back to the course’s themes. The following are offered as suggestions only to kick off your own creativity – you are welcome to use one of these but I sincerely encourage you to use your imagination and personal interests to pick a topic that has meaning for you:

* explore an aspect of the history of (pick one) papermaking, bookbinding, xerography, sound recording, photography, etc., with specific attention to manufacturing methods and materials that affect the permanence of the media;
* create a biographical sketch of one or more key figures whose contributions have affected the development of specific aspects of library media or its preservation;
* fashion a defensible argument for or against a specific preservation approach, including, but not limited to, the National Preservation Microfilming program, library binding, paper splitting, digitization, etc.;
* argue convincingly for or against the need to preserve material culture within libraries in the digital age;
* write an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to secure funding to support a professional preservation assessment of your institution or an institution you’d like to help (these are small, e.g., five-page proposals and quite manageable; I’d be happy to share examples of successful Preservation Assistance Grant proposals, if that is useful, and this is an excellent opportunity to get some experience in the grant writing arena). More information can be found at NEH’s website at: http://www.neh.fed.us/grants/guidelines/pag.html;
* investigate an actual preservation problem and its solution dealing with a specific rare item or a collection (this topic lends itself to a brief history of applicable preservation standards; an analysis of the problem; and recommendations related to the optimal long-term preservation of the object/collection, including possible funding sources);
* explore the historical development of U.S. library preservation;
* undertake a three-dimensional project, such as creating an effective preservation-awareness brochure for distribution at public service points within a real library; bind and document the process involved in binding a book; outline the history of papermaking and provide handmade examples of historical patterns; or,
* chose any other topic related to the preservation of library and archival material that overlaps your personal or professional interests.

Self Evaluation (mandatory)
When you send me your paper or project as an email attachment or via US Mail (at the address listed on the first page of this syllabus), please include:
1) a scanned picture of yourself (to help me connect your name with your face), and
2) a one-page self evaluation; include in this evaluation your assessment of the grade you’ve earned for the course.
Your self evaluation should cover class attendance, a assessment of the thoroughness of your reading in preparation for the class, your class participation, how well you did with the hands-on activities, and an evaluation of your research paper or project using the four criteria listed above. I am interested to learn what you got out of the class.

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Academic Code of Integrity

Accommodating Disabilities

Assignment Policies

<Put your own material for the stuff in red>

How to submit your assignments: How do you want students to submit assignments? Do you want them to include any particular identifying information on their assignments? Will assignments be returned to them, or will they just see a posted grade? Anything else that they'd need to know?
Assignment due dates: Since the Course Schedule section (above) will spell out specific due dates, this section is used to describe any late penalties and any particulars about exactly when items are due (e.g. "Surface-mailed assignments must be postmarked no later than the stated due date.")
Writing style: Are students supposed to use any particular writing style, such as APA or Chicago Manual? Are there any on-line writing resources that might be helpful to your students as they prepare their assignments? What if English is not their native tongue...is help available to them?
Late Policy

Incompletes

The current Catalog reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a term, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded in place of a failing grade or when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case, a grade other than I must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incomplete grade before the end of the term ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

GRADING:

Research paper or project: 60% of the total grade (60 points). Evaluation of the research paper or project will be determined by the four evenly weighted categories mentioned above:
1) Relevance of the argument to preservation
2) Interest the topic holds for reader
3) Intellectual strength and evidence of research depth
4) Quality of the mechanics

Participation: 40% of the total grade (40 points). Evaluation of participation will be determined by four evenly weighted categories:
1) Demonstrated knowledge derived from reading
2) Demonstrated class participation
3) Demonstrated respect for fellow classmates and overall responsibility
4) Timeliness in meeting assignments

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

Randy Silverman, Adjunct Faculty
Associate Preservation Librarian, University of Utah Marriott Library
295 South 1500 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0860
email: randy.silverman@utah.edu
w. 801-585-6782; h. 801-487-6970 fax: 801-585-3464

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IRLS672 Introduction to Applied Technology

Fri, 04/18/2008 - 08:55 — bfulton

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

IRLS 672 - Introduction to Applied Technology

There are no formal prerequisites for this course, however you should be familiar with the World Wide Web, basic technology and personal computers. Students taking this course for credit in the master's program must have successfully completed IRLS504 prior to registering for this course. Students enrolled only in the DigIn certificate program are exempt from this requirement.

Students are expected to have experience in at least one of the four professions: libraries, archives, records management, or information technology. This is a hands-on course in applied technology as it applies to digital collections of all kinds including digital libraries, archives and other digital repositories. Over the next several weeks, you will download and install programs and updates, configure hardware and software, create simple Web pages and learn how to manage software environments that may be unfamiliar to you. You should be reasonably proficient at finding resources on the Web and performing routine tasks using word processors and spreadsheets. You should feel comfortable with your current operating system (e.g. Windows or Mac OS) and know how to create and organize files and folders, install and configure peripherals such as printers and other hardware devices, and do basic troubleshooting when problems occur.

For students pursuing the SIRLS Certificate in Digital Information Management (DigIn), this is the first required course and is a prerequisite for other certificate classes that follow.

Note: This course requires access to a computer and Internet connectivity with specifications above and beyond the minimum requirements for most SIRLS courses. This course cannot be completed using open access computers (e.g. library computers or other public computers). Additionally, attempting the course on a work computer is strongly discouraged due to technical barriers frequently encountered in the workplace and problems associated with computer and network administration outside the control of the student. Read the technical requirements section below to assure that you have or will acquire the necessary hardware, software and connectivity prior to registering for the course. If you have questions about technical requirements, contact the instructor.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Introduction to Applied Technology is a virtual course taken on-line. Once you have registered for the course, you will be provided with a URL and login information.

Note: This course spans regularly scheduled UA summer sessions. For summer 2008, there is a mandatory one week orientation period that begins on May 19. Regular classes start May 27 and proceed for 14 weeks concluding on August 29.

This course provides you with a basic understanding of technology in the digital information environment along with an introduction to practical hands-on skills needed to manage digital information. The course combines reading, discussion, collaboration, project work, independent study, and guided hands-on practice in order to prepare you for success in the advanced courses that follow, and in your career upon completion of the certificate.

We will cover basic installation, setup and maintenance of key systems found in the digital information environment today. We will use the open source Linux operating system as a foundation for your learning, drawing parallels to the Windows server operating system, Unix operating systems, and other operating systems as we go. Linux is a freely available version of the Unix family of operating systems that runs the majority of web servers and database systems in use today. Linux/Unix variants and Windows Servers account for 98% of the network operating systems currently deployed. In most large institutions and businesses, both Linux/Unix and Windows servers are used. Although Apple Mac servers comprise a relatively small percentage of the network servers in use, its current operating system, OS-X, is heavily based on Unix.

We will use Linux as a means to understand the different kinds of servers used to manage digital collections, how servers connect to the Internet and the World Wide Web, how digital information is managed in databases, and how scripting connects the information in databases to dynamic web pages for search, discovery and retrieval.

The specific computer architecture we will explore is known as LAMP, an acronym for Linux (the operating system), Apache (the web server), MySQL (an open source relational database) and PHP (a common scripting language used to create dynamic web pages). What you learn in this course will carry over to other operating and data systems. These core component classes, in one form or another, comprise the basis for managing virtually all collections of digital information.

You will install LAMP components on your own computer using virtualization technologies or optionally on an inexpensive computer you may acquire (see Technology Requirements below), and you will learn how the components interact. The LAMP server environment you create will be used to help you begin to create your electronic Portfolio, a requirement of the capstone course and completion of the DigIn certificate. In the advanced courses, you will install specific application software that uses the LAMP components to manage digital collections such as digital library software.

As we explore the LAMP architecture, we will also introduce basic concepts of TCP/IP (the underpinnings of the Internet and networking today), HTML markup for creating Web pages, and XML, the markup language used to exchange structured data among computers. We will call attention to software applications that are used to manage digital information collections today and discuss how the applications are integrated in a networked environment.

You will also be introduced to basic concepts of technology planning, project management and the networked information environment, especially as they apply in libraries and cultural heritage organizations.

This course is not a course in network administration, web development or programming! It is, first and foremost, a class about server technology supporting digital collections in libraries, archives, cultural heritage organizations and other institutions. We will introduce you to applied technology in order to help assure that when you finish, you will understand how to work with these technologies as an information professional such as a librarian, archivist, records specialist or other information professional. You will gain confidence in your ability to learn new technologies as they are developed and you will develop a systematic approach to problem solving and troubleshooting. You will understand basic information management architecture and be able to work with IT professionals such as programmers and system administrators to solve problems and support collections of digital information. Upon completion, you should feel comfortable working in a technology-rich environment. This course is introductory in nature and will set the stage for further exploration, formal learning and other career development according to the career path you choose to follow.

The course will follow the general schedule of topics described below. Students are asked to remain flexible; overall pacing and coverage may be adjusted to accommodate the mix of existing skills and knowledge among student cohorts.

Orientation
Servers and Operating Systems
Linux 1 Topics (the command line interface) (Windows Server 2003; OSX)
Linux 2 Topics (configuration basics)
Linux 3 Topics (users, groups and permissions)
The Networked Environment Topics (TCP/IP, Protocols and Addressing)
Web servers - Apache 1 Topics (HTML) (MS PWS, MS IIS)
Web servers - Apache 2 Topics (Beyond HTML)
Technology Planning / Technology Plans / Acquiring Technology
Relational Databases 1 - Topics (ERD, Normalization)
Relational Databases 2 - Topics (SQL) MySQL
Project Management / Managing Technology
Scripting - PhP (Perl, Java, CGI, .NET)
The Future of Computing for Digital Information - Current Trends and Projections.
Project Review and Wrap; Final Examination

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of this course, you will understand and be able to describe:

· TCP/IP fundamentals including the major components and protocols of the Internet and networking and their appropriate use;

· The functions and component parts of an operating system, a web server, a database, and a scripting language

· Simple setup and maintenance of LAMP components

· Linux shell commands, the Linux directory structure, shell scripts, and editing of configuration files

· Relational databases and basic principles of database design

· Basic markup including HTML, XML and XML-Schema

· The pros and cons of open source and propriety software

· The pros and cons of command line interfaces and graphical user interfaces

· Approaches, methods and resources for problem-solving and troubleshooting

· Elements of a technology plan and the technology planning process

· Major funding for technology in libraries and cultural heritage organizations including eRate, LSTA and other grant opportunities

· Project management fundamentals

· The use of LAMP and similar architectures in digital libraries, archives and other digital collections

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

· Download, install, update and patch Linux and LAMP software distributions

· Configure and secure basic LAMP components

· Create simple databases and execute database queries

· Modify configuration files using both command line and graphic editors

· Create simple scripts, web files, SQL queries and XML documents.

· Plan, deploy and manage technology projects

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Textbooks and Application Software

Nemeth, Snyder and Hein (2002). Linux Administration Handbook. Prentice Hall PTR. ISBN 0-13-008466-2. This text is optional. It is recommended primarily for those who desire a more advanced reference in print format and who plan on future work involving linux or unix environments. Selected readings will be posted in eReserves, so purchase is not required.

We will use virtualization software to conduct hands-on assignments. If your primary computer system is a Mac, you may need to purchase a copy of the software application Parallels or VMWare Fusion. Check with the instructor to determine the correct version for your model and processor. For the Windows/PC platform, VMWare Server is freely available. Student licenses for other virtualization software may also be made available at no cost.

All other required readings and study materials will be freely available on the Web, available through the UA Computer Based Training website (UA NetID required, see http://uacbt.arizona.edu) or placed in the University of Arizona electronic reserves system.

Optional readings, useful books and supplementary or optional software will be suggested as the course progresses.

Technology Requirements

You will need at least one computer and a couple of accessories for this course and for other courses in the DigIn program. Read the following section carefully to see what you need to acquire and what you probably already have. Although you may need to purchase some hardware, the cost should not be burdensome or significantly more than you might expect to spend on books and course packs for traditional graduate professional courses. At least two weeks prior to the start of the course, you should contact the instructor and provide a list of the equipment you propose to use. As a matter of policy, we do not recommend particular brands, and a wide variety of equipment will be satisfactory. If you have questions about any particular item, especially ones you might need to purchase, your instructor will be happy to review your selections and suggest options.

The first computer you need will be the computer you probably already have. We'll call this your host computer. It may be either a Windows machine (Windows XP or Vista) or an Intel-based Mac (OS-X ). Older versions of the Mac running the PowerPC chip will not work nor will older versions of the Windows operating system. The software we will use won’t run on older versions of these platforms. This computer must be reliable. We will install virtualization software on it that will allow you to create one or more virtual computers running the Linux operating system, so you must have administrator rights on your computer. You should already have or be able to install plug-ins such as Flash and Java. You’ll also need recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari as your web browser.

Because many of the resources we will use are large (up to 1GB downloads, and more in some cases), you MUST HAVE reliable BROADBAND connectivity to your Internet service provider. Most cable or DSL connections will be adequate. Download speeds of one megabit or more are preferred. Slower connections will lengthen the time it takes to acquire the necessary files. Standard telephone-based modem connectivity will not be a practical way to acquire the necessary files.

You will need adequate disk space to install some new software on your production computer. If you don’t have at least 20GB of free disk space, you may need to consider acquiring a second hard drive, either internal or USB external. You should also have adequate RAM to run multiple programs. You will need a minimum of 1GB RAM for Mac and Windows XP systems, and 2GB RAM for Windows Vista systems. Depending on individual configurations, you may need to install more than these minimums.

You may OPTIONALLY elect to acquire a second computer to install a working copy of Linux and other software that comprises the LAMP server. Many students find that working with a second practice computer enhances the hands-on learning experience. This computer should be an inexpensive, basic model. Linux will run on most bare-bones systems. It is very likely you have an old computer in the garage (the one you had before you got the one you have now), or perhaps you have a friend with an old computer you can use. If you choose to buy one, you should not expect to spend a lot of money. Used computers suitable for this purpose are almost always available on eBay and other outlets for as little as $100 - $200. You may have a recycling center in your community that sells refurbished donated computers for under $100. A good configuration for this computer might be:

Intel Pentium 4 or equivalent AMD processor (earlier Pentiums or Intel 386/486 are not recommended)
256MB memory (128MB minimum)
20 GB hard drive
Ethernet 10/100 network card
Bootable CD-RW drive

In general, you’ll want to avoid anything that is really new or proprietary. It takes a while for the Linux community to develop hardware drivers (we’ll learn about those in the course), so new products and peripherals aren’t always supported right away on Linux. Other problem areas for Linux installations are wireless network cards, high end video cards and newer laptops. Plain vanilla is best and cheapest.

If you do choose to acquire a second computer, you probably won’t need a second monitor. You may purchase a KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) switch that will allow you to connect your main computer and your optional second computer to your existing monitor, keyboard and mouse. You simply toggle a button to switch back and forth between the two computers. There are different models depending on whether your keyboard and mouse have PS2 or USB connections.

The last thing you’ll need is an inexpensive home router available from any consumer electronics superstore. You probably already have one if you have wireless networking set up at your home. The router connects to your existing cable or DSL modem and allows multiple computers to access the same Internet connection as well as communicate with each other. Both your host computer and your optional second computer need to connect to the Internet. Wireless routers also have regular wired Ethernet connections, so you don’t need to purchase wireless Ethernet devices. In fact, your optional second computer will be easier to set up with a standard wired connection and a plain vanilla Ethernet card. The two most common types of wireless routers in stores today comply with variations of either the 802.11g or 802.11n specification. The 802.11n models are faster in wireless mode and more expensive. 802.11g will work quite satisfactorily. If you already have an older 802.11b router, that will also work.

We will cover how to set all this up in class.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Email is the SIRLS’ official means of communication with all students. SIRLS requires that you provide an email address at the time of admissions. The University and School policy require that students obtain a NetID and a university email account.

See https://netid.ccit.arizona.edu/newid.php.

The university and the school communicate with students through this email account, and failure to use it regularly or forward it to an often-used account will result in missing communication essential to the progress of the certificate. In addition, students are signed on to the school's official communication listserv, IRLSadmin. It is the student's responsibility to receive messages sent to IRLSadmin and to the student's university email account.

Proficiency with Technology

We recognize that students entering the certificate program will have a range of existing technical skills depending on their background and previous professional experience. For many students, most of the material will be both new and interesting. Every effort will be made to provide adequate technical support necessary to assure success. The course only requires that students come in with a reasonable facility with personal computers and a strong desire and commitment to broaden their technological horizons.

On the other hand, students with strong technical backgrounds may find some or many of the exercises already familiar. Although course waivers will be considered only in exceptional circumstances of extensive professional accomplishment, students with more advanced technical skills who are already proficient with aspects of the hands on portions of the course may propose, with the approval of the instructor, more advanced work in order to improve their knowledge and skills. The instructor may also suggest options throughout the course that technically advanced students may consider in order to maximize the learning experience.

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Academic Code of Integrity

Accommodating Disabilities

Assignment Policies

All assignments are due on the day and time indicated. Late assignments will not be accepted without a grade penalty except in documented extreme cases involving circumstances beyond the student's control. Late assignments may be penalized one or more full letter grades at the instructor's discretion.

Writing Guidelines

Norms of graduate level writing including appropriate organization, level of expression, use of standard grammar and spelling, and citation of resources, are expected in this class. All graded assignments include elements of writing competence. The existence of problems will be indicated, but the instructors will not edit the student's work. Students who want more detail about the kinds of errors they are making should consult the instructor. Help in improving writing is available through the Writing Center http://web.arizona.edu/~uawc/. The following Web sites offer excellent advice as well.

The OWL at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
Chuck Guilford, Paradigm Online Writing Assistant: http://www.powa.org/

Incompletes

This course and the companion course Introduction to Digital Collections are the foundation for success in advanced coursework in digital information management. It is in your best interest to complete this course on schedule. Incompletes will not be given except in documented extreme cases involving circumstances beyond the student's control. Certificate student should note that any incomplete in Introduction to Applied Technology must be removed before the student continues in the certificate program.

Incompletes are strongly discouraged. See the Graduate College website for the official University Policy on Incompletes and note especially the following: The 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 incomplete 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.

GRADING:

This course will use an online learning management system as the primary means of instruction. Modules will be posted to the system each week consisting of special lectures, discussion boards, assignments, quizzes, and links to resources and readings. You are also expected to maintain a blog and contribute to a course WIKI.

This is not a self-paced course. You are expected to keep up and progress as a group. This is important because you and your fellow students will be an important resource for troubleshooting and problem solving. You should count on checking into the course management system at least five days each week to keep up with announcements, discussions and assignments. The course is, however, conducted asynchronously, so you do not need to check in at any specific time. During the course, opportunities for optional participation in webcasts or other kinds of synchronous learning that occur at specific dates or times may be announced as they become available.

Grading is based on the following elements:

· Class participation, 10%, 100 points

· Weekly assignments, 25%, 250 points

· Individual Blog and Group Wiki, 20%, 200 points

· LAMP Project / ePortfolio Presentation, 30%, 300 points

· Final Exam, 15%, 150 points

· Course Total 1000 points

Class Participation Grade – 100 Points

Your class participation grade is a measure of your participation in class discussions and weekly quizzes. Each week, one or more topics for online discussion will be posted, usually based on assigned readings. You are expected to contribute substantively to the discussions and to be helpful to your fellow students. As a rule of thumb, a good post is at least 100 words and addresses issues raised by the topic.

Good responses to posts are at least 25 words and consist of more than simple acknowledgement of agreement or disagreement. You should expect to provide at least one post and two responses to the posts of your fellow students each week that meet these guidelines. You may also provide shorter posts, nods of agreement and those other things that make discussions interesting, but your grade will reflect the content your substantive posts and responses. Good writing practices are expected.

It is perfectly acceptable to disagree with opinions expressed in the posts of your instructor or fellow students, but you are expected to demonstrate professionalism and respect at all times. Personal attacks, flames, and lack of respect will not be tolerated in the discussion boards.

There will also be a short true-false multiple choice quiz posted each week covering terms and concepts introduced in the lecture or reading. Their primary purpose is to help reinforce key words, acronyms and important ideas The quizzes themselves will not be graded and you may take them as many times as you like. However, you must take them. If you don’t take the weekly quiz each week, it will adversely impact your class participation grade.

Class Participation Grading Scale:

90%-100% - A – Weekly posts and responses are frequent, well articulated, timely and responsive; all quizzes completed on time each week.

80%-89% - B – Weekly posts are less frequent, substantive posts are not provided each and every week or are provided late, some quizzes not completed or completed late.

70%-79% - C – Few posts made; weekly quizzes sporadic, late or not taken at all.

Weekly Assignments – 250 Points

Each week, one or more assignments will be posted for completion. The assignments will consist primarily of specific tasks relating to the hands-on activities you are expected to perform on your LAMP installation. You may also be assigned to research topics on the Web and elsewhere and provide short summaries of your findings. Evidence of completion of the tasks will take the form of system logs or answers to specific questions relating to expected outcomes of the assignment. The documentation or required summaries must be submitted to the eCollege drop box by the time and date indicated

Weekly Assignment Grading Scale:

90%-100% - A – All assignments completed on time. Where applicable, the writing is clear, concise and relatively free of grammatical and spelling errors. Evidence is provided that the hands-on portions of the assignment were completed and documented.

80%-89% - B – Some assignments are posted late, or are incomplete, or demonstrate flaws in writing such as poor grammar or spelling. Some hands-on activities are not completed.

70%-79% - C – Few assignments are completed in a timely fashion, or are of overall poor quality or are incomplete.

Individual Blog – 200 points

Each of you will make weekly entries in a blog. A Wiki may also be provided for selected topics. Access to a blog will be provided or you may select the blog host of choice. The blog is intended to be a weekly diary of your activities. You may include documentation of installation or configuration details, outside resources reviewed or evaluated, interesting articles or web sites, comments on relevant blogs, or other progress on your ePortfolio. Entries should be made every week. A good rule of thumb for length is 250-450 words weekly, or about ½ to 1 standard page. You are encouraged to read the blogs of your fellow students and comment if and as appropriate.

Blog Grading Scale:

90%-100% - A – The blog is updated at least weekly. Postings are responsive, articulate and topical. Postings or edits to the Wiki are frequent and responsive.

80%-89% - B – The blog is not always updated weekly, or some posts are lacking in clarity, topicality or relevance. Posting or edits to the Wiki are less frequent or less substantive.

70%-79% - C – The blog is rarely updated, or entries demonstrate poor writing, lack of clarity, or are largely irrelevant. There are few postings or edits to the Wiki.

LAMP Project / EPortfolio Presentation – 300 points

Each of you will be responsible for a short presentation due one week before the end of class describing your LAMP project and environment. The resulting presentation will be the first artifact comprising the ePortfolio you will develop as you work through the certificate program. The presentation may be in the form of an annotated PowerPoint, voice over PowerPoint, or standard term paper. You should describe your overall progress in building the LAMP server, the major hurdles you faced, lessons learned and current status of the system. The presentation should be developed so that if presented live, it would last approximately 10 minutes. Note that your LAMP system does not need to be entirely complete or 100% functional as long as you have adequately documented problems and the efforts you have made to resolve problems or technical barriers. During the last week of class, you will review your fellow students’ presentations and discuss them in an online discussion board.

LAMP Presentation Grading Scale:

90%-100% - A –.The presentation adequately describes the current status of your LAMP server project and addresses the issues raised in the assignment in the time frame suggested. Composition and grammar meet graduate level writing expectations.

80%-89% - B – The presentation is lacking detail, or does not included all the suggested elements, or is somewhat shorter than the suggested length, or demonstrates flaws in composition or grammar.

70%-79% - C – The presentation is fundamentally non-responsive, or demonstrates lack of understanding of the LAMP architecture, or completely fails to address many of the suggested elements.

Final Exam – 150 points

The final exam will consist of true-false and multiple choice questions drawn from the quiz bank (75 points) and a short essay reflecting your vision of technology and its role in the digital information environment (75 points). Additional details on the essay question will be provided prior the exam.

Course Grade

90% - 100%, 900-1000 points, A

80% - 89%, 800-899 points, B

70% - 79%, 700-799 points, C

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

Course Instructor:

Bruce Fulton

The University of Arizona

School of Information Resources and Library Science

1515 E First Street

Tucson, AZ 85719

Direct Phone 520.626.4631 | General Phone 520.621.3565 | Fax 520.621.3279

bfulton@email.arizona.edu

http://sir.arizona.edu

IRLS571-001 Introduction to Information Technology (Smith)

Thu, 03/27/2008 - 17:47 — trevors

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

Introduction to Information Technology

IRLS 571 Section 001

Instructor: Trevor Smith

This course is an elective for the SIRLS Masters degree. [Prerequisite: IRLS 504 or consent of the instructor.]

Note: This course spans both the Summer I and Summer II sessions. This is an intensive introduction to technology—plan on a substantial time commitment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

"This course is designed to introduce the basic concepts and applications of Internet-related information technology and its impacts on individual users, groups, organizations, and society. The topics in this survey course include computing basics, network applications, human computer interactions, computer-supported cooperative work, social aspects of information systems, and some economic and legal issues related to digital services and products." (3 credit hours)

"If the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a Rolls-Royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside." -- Robert X. Cringely.

Introduction to Information Technology is a course about computers, but it is not just about computers. More than any other recent development, the computer, and specifically Internet-related technology, has changed the way humans interact with the world, information, and each other. To understand social change in the digital age and the implications for information professionals, it is necessary to have a broad understanding of technology. This course will cover the history and development of computers and networking, survey Internet technologies, and describe some of the electronic tools that are found in modern libraries. Students will be assigned hands-on projects that reinforce important concepts. We will also look at the implications and consequences of information technology such as collaboration, hacking, access/ownership, free-inquiry, and information economics.

The purpose of this course is not to teach you how to be an engineer, administrator, web mistress, or even a systems librarian. Rather, upon completion of IRLS 571, you should be able to intelligently discuss library and Internet technology with IT professionals, make reasoned purchase recommendations, constructively critique web sites, and present information online in an effective and appealing manner. You should also understand enough about inevitable technological change to help your institution plan for success.

General familiarity with computers will help on some assignments, but as the semester progresses, we'll find that we all have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to the course material. "1337 haxors" may find some of the early tech-oriented assignments relatively easy, but they won't necessarily have any advantage when it comes to the contextual issues surrounding technology.

Course Contents

The summer course is composed of 5 interdependent units. We will spend one or two weeks on each topic. In order, the units are as follows:

Unit 1: Introduction and History of Computing
Unit 2: Operating Systems, Networking, Programming Languages and Formal Troubleshooting
Unit 3: Internet Technologies
Unit 4: User Interface Design, Information Seeking Behavior and Website Evaluation
Unit 5: Library Technology and Social Issues

Course Delivery

This is a virtual course with the majority of interaction taking place in the UofA's course management system, Desire2Learn (D2L). In D2L we have access to email, announcements, discussion boards, an assignment drop-box, a resource repository, a chat room, and a secure grade book. We will use all of these features this semester. Many of the online lectures include both video and sound. No on-campus attendance is required.

A normal week will start on Tuesday when the Unit assignment (if any) from the previous week will be due by 8:00pm. New lectures will be posted on Wednesday. Announcements and discussion postings may be added at any time. Every attempt will be made to release the grades for Tuesday's assignment by midnight on Friday.

Small groups will be assigned about three weeks in to the class when the roster has stabilized. This is also when we will discuss the details of the group project.

The final individual project will be due the last week of the course. It will require you to synthesize and apply the knowledge you have been acquiring during the semester. Comprehensive details will be provided later in the course.

What to Expect

There are two areas to consider when planning your time commitment during the semester. We will share about 40 hours of "mediated instruction" (it would be "classroom time" if we were in a face-to-face course), or about 4-4.5 hours per week. This will consist of everything from text-based lectures and interactive tutorials to multi-media Flash presentations with music, dancing, and explosions (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit here). Homework will include required reading, finding and using optional resources, and assignments--a target of 10 hours per week, with some weeks much less, other weeks slightly more. Plan on a combined total of 14-16 hours per week for an average student to keep up with the class.

The good news is that the course is entirely asynchronous, you can log in to D2L any time you wish. Having said that, to keep up with the discussion boards and your group members, you should expect to check in about 5 times a week; once a day Monday-Friday is perfect. Keep in mind that most of the important information will be distributed on Wednesday. If you are going to be unable to access the class for more than three or four days in a row, please let me know so we can make some special arrangements.

I have a love-hate relationship with group projects. It is very difficult to make sure every participant does his/her fair share and receives an appropriate grade. However, there are three aspects of groupwork that redeem it as a learning tool for this particular course. First, it tends to break down the sense of isolation, a chronic problem of distance education. Second, virtually all technology development is done in groups, teams, and committees--to really understand technology development you have to understand small-group dynamics. Third, an important aspect of this class is understanding collaborative technologies; how better to learn than by using technology to collaborate? A couple of components of the group project will be assigned as individual work to make the experience less stressful.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the completion of this course, you will:

understand computer, network, Internet, and library technology enough to do the following: speak intelligently to those charged with implementing and maintaining it, recommend and justify purchase or discard, perform elementary troubleshooting, and assist library patrons with basic technology problems
have experienced a wide variety of information systems and will more rapidly learn how to utilize tools, software, and infrastructure
be able to create and critically evaluate web sites; suggest improvements to appearance, functionality, and organization understand how digital technologies affect society in areas such as equal opportunity, crime, privacy, preservation, free inquiry, intellectual property, communication, collaboration, and economics

This course is intended to address, in part, the following two Student Competencies and Learning Outcomes:

A3) Students will demonstrate understanding of the use of information and communication technologies in the provision of information resources and services in libraries and other settings.

C10) Students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and analyze ethical issues and dilemmas in library and information settings and propose reasoned courses of action.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Textbooks:

Snyder, Lawrence. (2008.) Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, & Capabilities. Third Edition. Addison Wesley: Boston. (ISBN: 0-321-51239-1, sure to get the Third Edition, the second edition was published in 2005 and is obsolete in some important areas.)

Krug, Steve. Don't Make Me Think: A common Sense Approach to Web Usability. Second Edition. New Riders: Berkeley. (ISBN: 0-321-34475-8, make sure you have the Second Edition of this one.)

The bookstore should have copies of these by the first week of classes, but you might want to look at the major online sites and compare price and availability.

Internet Access:

Students will need reliable online access. High speed internet such as broadband cable or DSL is highly recommended. While it is probably possible to successfully complete this course with a dial-up connection, it would require significant advanced planning and patience (think "World-Wide-Wait"). If you do not have broadband, consider using the SIRLS computer lab, the UofA information commons, or even a public library computer center.

U-System Account:

You will need to have a U-System account for both the group project and several of the individual homework assignments. You must request this account be created for you (it is not automatically created when you get your email address). Once you have your UA NetID, go to https://account.arizona.edu/ and follow the "Create your U of A Email and other CCIT computer accounts" link. Request a U-System Computing account. The process can take 24 hours or longer, so try to get this done as soon as possible. If you have any trouble contact the CCIT helpdesk at http://support.ccit.arizona.edu/.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Coursework
Mid-term Exam
Group Project
Final Individual Project

The coursework will consist of five Unit assignments, each worth 8 points, for a total of 40% of your final grade. These assignments will require you to post information on the discussion boards, answer essay questions, provide a link to something you found online or created, and/or write up the result of a "hands-on" exercise. While study groups, either in-person or virtual, are encouraged, the Unit assignments should be your own work. In other words, you can talk to each other about the assignments but do the exercises and write-up the results independently.

The mid-term exam will be worth 10% of your semester grade; it will be multiple-choice and approximately an hour in duration.

The group project will be detailed in week 3; you will be assigned to a small group and will select (or be given) a technology topic to develop an informational web site around. As part of this process you will individually assess your site, some of your classmates' sites, some external sites, and provide recommendations for improvement. In total, it is worth 25% of your course grade.

The final project will require you to construct a technology policy for a library. This will also be worth 25% of your grade and will be fully detailed around the mid-point of the course.

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Academic Code of Integrity

Accommodating Disabilities

Assignment Policies

How to submit assignments: All Unit assignments must be submitted in the D2L drop-box. They may be submitted by email (either D2L or my external email) only if there are technical problems with the drop-box. The format must be "standard" HTML--what this means is that you can not just use your word processor to "save-as" an HTML file (the files created by MS Word, for example, wreak havoc with some browsers). If you have Dreamweaver or FrontPage, they will work fine for your assignments; but if not, check out NVU, a free web development tool for all three major PC operating systems. If a unit assignment asks you to make a contribution to the discussion groups, please cut-and-paste what you posted into your drop-box submission. If you have any graphics or other objects referenced in your HTML, make sure that you submit all the files and use a relative link to objects from the same directory as your HTML document.

A link to your group assignment must be submitted by every participant in their D2L drop-box. This will allow me to give you your individual grades and feedback.

The final project should also be submitted in the D2L drop box in "standard" HTML.
Assignment due dates: The Course Schedule will list specific due dates for assignments, and reminders will be posted in D2L. In general, late assignments will not be routinely accepted. I understand that emergencies and problems can occur in the course of the semester, so please contact me as soon as you find you may not be able to make a particular due date; under certain circumstances partial credit may be possible. To avoid technical problems remember my digital mantra, "save early, save often!"
Writing style: Be sure to include your name at the top of every submission. Clear and concise writing consistent with upper-division undergraduate and graduate course-work is expected on all assignments. I am not a stickler for precisely following a style manual (it can be almost impossible to create some things like "hanging indents" in HTML), but be certain to properly attribute the quotes, work, and ideas of others with citations--check out APA and Citation Machine for help. Spell-check is your friend.

Incompletes

The current Catalog reads

The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a term, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded in place of a failing grade or when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case, a grade other than I must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incomplete grade before the end of the term ...

If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.

GRADING:

Every effort will be made to rapidly correct homework assignments. Feedback will be provided in person and through the gradebook feature of D2L.

Points possible for each assignment

Coursework	40 points
Mid-term Exam	10 points
Group Project	25 points
Final Individual Project	25 points

Letter Grade	571
"A"	90-100 points
"B"	80-89 points
"C"	65-79 points
"D"	N/A
"F"	below 65 points

How to get a good grade:

Read, understand, and follow the assignment instructions. This bears repeating, every assignment will include a set of instructions--follow them.
If you aren't sure what I expect, ask me for clarification--it is likely others are wondering as well.
Stay on top of the required readings. There is a lot of raw information and vocabulary in this class; avoid the frustration of falling behind.
Play. Technology is an information power tool, but never forget that video games drive hardware evolution. Try to find aspects of the material that are genuinely interesting to you.

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

Email is the quickest and most reliable way of contacting me. For class matters, internal D2L email is preferred and I will be checking it frequently during the semester. You can also contact me at my regular email address: smitht followed by @cochise.edu .

If you feel more comfortable with online chat, IM, or Skype, just email me for an appointment and detailed contact information. I’m glad to work with the type of communication technology that best fits your learning style.

If you have a question or situation that might be easier to talk about than exchange email, or if you get frustrated with technology and just want help from a human voice, I am available via telephone virtually any time by appointment. Feel free to call my number at Cochise College, (520) 515-5421, but please understand if I have to reschedule our conversation to work around my "day job".

--Trevor Smith

IRLS575-791 User Interface and Web Site Design

Tue, 03/25/2008 - 11:09 — mfricke

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

This is a draft, under revision as of 3/25/08

User Interface and Web Site Design.

IRLS475/575 Section 791

This course is an elective, and there are no course prerequisites.

Instructor: Martin Frické

Attached Course Outline

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

"Online instructional course on User Interface in Information Systems, Human Computer Interaction, and Web Site Design and Evaluation." (3 credit hours)

General overview

To adapt Ranganathan: information is for use. Nowadays, much of stored or recorded information is available electronically, and typically it is accessed through computers and networks, for example, by means of web sites. So the User often meets the information at the interface between humans and computers. The academic discipline of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) studies exactly this interface.

This course offers instruction in a) the User Interface in Information Systems, b) Human Computer Interaction, and c) the design and evaluation of 'information' web sites. (Not all web sites aim primarily at presenting information-- some are for entertainment, many are for commerce. These types of sites are not considered in this course.)

HCI itself addresses the problem of designing composite systems, of humans and computers, which are both safe and efficient. This is an extremely important problem these days because everybody is a User. [30 years ago, computers could have all sorts of interface shortcomings because only experts used them and the experts could use their skills to overcome the difficulties. But now we are all Users, and we don't want difficulties!]

When looking at HCI, four considerations, and their interactions, are prominent

human capabilities. These include physical and cognitive issues: what folk can do with their hands, eyes, and brains. Humans are highly variable, and have cognitive strengths and weaknesses (for example, humans have poor memories yet good abilities to recognize patterns in a visual scene).
the technical features of the computing machines. Principally what the computer presents, and receives by way of input and output; and the style of the interaction between the User and the computer. For example, an older computer might be able to take input only from a keyboard, and give output only to a printer-- in which case, human-computer interaction would be similar to a dialog or conversation (these days the possibilities are far richer with, for example, mice for input and sophisticated visual displays for output).
the tasks being undertaken. For example, there is a world of difference between typing in a document for word processing, and producing some architectural drawings using a CAD/CAM package. Additionally, a modern trend is that of moving from the single user-- single interface to group working and multitasking (for example, computers are used extensively now in the cockpits of commercial aircraft and in that setting there is a team of humans interacting with several computers).
the environment. What is the work, or task, setting? What are its physical and socio-cultural characteristics? (For example, it is unwise to use sound input or output in a noisy setting; another example, it is unwise to expect children to spell keywords perfectly for a Search in an Online Public Access Catalog in a library.)

The academic backdrop to HCI

Many academic disciplines have a role to play in the theories behind HCI and Web Site design, including:

Cognitive psychology

to provide knowledge of what users can and cannot be expected to do
to identify and explain the nature and causes of some of the problems that Users encounter
to supply modelling tools and methods to help build interfaces that are easy to use

Social psychology (social knowledge)

to offer knowledge of context of use
to identify and explain how people work together and to suggest which computer systems are needed to support collaborative working
to provide frameworks for social interaction and conversation (which, in turn, can form the basis of someHCI frameworks)

Organizational psychology (organizational knowledge)

to provide models of processes and structures in organizations
to identify 'trouble spots' in organizations which stop computers being used optimally
to supply methods for design and evaluation of new technologies that are being introduced into the work settings

Computer Science, to offer the theories and practices (and software and hardware)

to transform the information from the input devices into input that the computer can make use of
to tranform the output from the computer into a form suitable for the output devices
to produce the computing environments to host the favoured interaction style

Ergonomics

to match the physical characteristics of the devices with the physiological characteristics of the User
to consider special considerations for Users with disabilities (eg. what kind of mouse is suitable for a User with arthritis)
to consider safety issues connected with the Users being injured (RSI etc.)

Linguistics

to understand language issues
to design syntactically simple, yet semantically powerful and unambiguous, language fragments
tohelp with iconic or diagrammatic languages

Artificial intelligence

to leverage the abilities of both the User and the computer
to suggest agents, knowbots, wizards, intelligent help systems, and intelligent interfaces

Philosophy

to help using its dispassionate, deep, and clear analysis of problems

Sociology, and Anthropology

to identify how different people, of different cultures, behave, individually and in groups, when carrying out tasks using computers

HCI, in sum

HCI is a multi-disciplinary field encompassing cognitive psychology, social and organizational psychology, computer science, ergonomics, linguistics, artificial intelligence, philosophy, sociology and anthropology.

HCI is concerned with the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computer systems and study of major phenomena surrounding their use.

Web Site design

Web site design augments HCI-- it applies and extends the principles of HCI in a special case. To make a rough and ready distinction. Plain stand alone computers tend to calculate what they offer, whereas web sites are part of a network or networks and tend to retrieve information they, or others, already have and offer that. So the design of web sites can put an emphasis on the organization of information, on information architecture (IA), and the management of information. The design of web sites brings into play traditional library science skills.

How this course will be taught

This is an online course taught virtually at a distance using the Web. The course is conceived of as discussions on 15 (or so) topics. A lecture course in the University of Arizona amounts to 37 1/2 hours of instruction spread through a semester. Our 'discussions' will be the virtual counterpart of 30 (or so) one and a quarter hour lectures, delivered at a rate of two a week. There will be notes, readings, discussion groups, chat, and (of course) assignments.

The course has a start date and an end date, and the class as a whole will move through the course together The primary means of introducing the scholarly material will be Notes. These are going to be posted one at a time steadily through the session, keeping the whole class moving forward through the material. There are 20 plus sets of Notes, and these normally will be delivered at a rate of two a week (usually put up on a Tuesday and a Friday). There will be assignments, with due dates, and formal discussions, and these will serve to check progress. There also will be readings or references to be followed up on the Web.

Almost all interactions will be asynchronous. That is, students can log on whenever they wish, and read material and post replies on timetables that suits their individual needs. A student will typically need to log on about 5 times a week. (An analog here is email-- most folk check their email at least five times a week.)

The students will also be placed in groups of about 4 students and there will be some groupwork. (There are two main reasons here. One central problem for distance education is the 'sense of isolation' that students can feel-- being a member of a small group is one counter to this. Second, the course itself in part studies groups using computer technologies to achieve group goals-- course groupwork gives a student direct experience of this task.)

d2l (desire to learn) is used as the instructional and course management environment. Students who enrol in the course will be given an account. They will be able to log in to their account via the Learning Technologies Center E-Learning Portal. d2l has facilities for internal email, and this will be one way to contact the Instructor or the Graduate Assistant Teacher (GAT).

Students are expected to log on reasonably regularly, to read and study the Notes and references, to participate in the online discussions, to interact by email (and other means) with their fellow students, to write (or otherwise answer) the assignments, to download and upload files (this will be taught), and to carry out various other activities. It is hard to anticipate accurately how much time all these course related activities will take in total (and such a figure would vary from student to student and from week to week), but seven hours a week is a rough order of magnitude estimate.

The course will start in earnest a few days after the start of the semester. The d2l software can detect when students log on, and when most of the students have shown that the are present by logging on, the Instructor will get the course underway.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the completion of this course, you will:

know the cognitive capabilities of humans, in individuals and groups, as they relate to interacting with computers
know the typical input, output, and interaction-style features of computer systems
know how human-computer systems are designed and evaluated
be able to evaluate Web sites that have the goal of presenting information
be able to design the organization, information architecture, and layout for such Web sites
have experienced the presentation of information by many common systems for the computer mediated communication of information

It is not an objective of this course to teach a student how to code, to program, or to use a development system for producing Web sites. In fact, no technical skills are presupposed by this course, and none are taught in it.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

Students need online access, either by way of their own computers and Internet connection or by public access means (such as those provided in Public Libraries or in on campus labs).

There is no set text for the course. And online materials are available either directly on the Web or through password protected electronic reserves at the library (http://eres.library.arizona.edu with password xxx)

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

The course requirements are

coursework
participation
groupwork (assessed for the IRLS575 students only)
final examination (optional for extra credit).

The coursework requirement will be, by default, two papers, one due about 2 weeks and the other 4 weeks into the course, at times to be announced in class. The intention, though, is that this course will in part be doing interface and web site design, rather than just talking about design. In which case, approved practical projects or group presentations would be welcome substitutes for one or both papers.

The participation requirement is that you contribute to the online discussion groups or forums. You can meet this requirement by posting at least 5 times during the semester. We do not want these forums to be cluttered up by folk posting when they have nothing to say. But you should have something to say from time to time, and we would like to hear it.

Some groupwork will be set. These will a small project undertaken by you working in teams. So called 'groupware'-- for example wikis, chats, decision support systems, social networking software, etc-- are an increasing important area of computer software. The groupwork will require you to use groupware, and thus have direct experience of some examples of it.

The optional final examination will be a take-home exam, of two hours duration for the IRLS575 students and of one and one half hours duration for the IRLS475 students. It will be distributed electronically about August 1st and has to be returned by August 8th.

For both the IRLS475 and the IRLS575 students, the coursework will count for 60% of the final grade, the participation 10%, and the groupwork 30%. If a student does the optional final, it will be worth 30% overall and the grade for that final may be used to replace and improve one grade the student obtains for exactly one of {either of the two papers the student has done in the coursework, or for the groupwork}. [Sitting the optional final can only improve a student's overall grade, it can never lower the grade.]

COURSE, SCHOOL, AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES:

Academic Code of Integrity

Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity, see . '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

Assignment Policies

Submission: The papers are to be submitted usually by the d2l assignment Dropbox, which can be found as a link on the toolbar. (A less preferable alternative is by d2l internal email to the Instructor, put, for example, 'Assignment One' as the subject and send the assignment either as the message or as an attachment to the message. Pure electronic documents need to be either plain text or formatted using HTML (just 'Save As' HTML using your favourite word processor).
Format, style and content: Content is all important in this course. Style should be plain and transparent (be guided by the classic Strunk and White Elements of Style). If English is not your native language, and you would like some assistance, please contact the Instructor. The format is unimportant, except that it should be html.
Late papers: There will be due dates and students are expected to meet them. With an online course like this, difficulties can arise (such as computers or d2l being temporarily out of service) and appropriate decisions will be made as needed.

Incompletes

The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads

The 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.

GRADING:

The following scales will be used

For IRLS475 students

Internal	For the University
85-100%	A
65-84%	B
below 65%	C

For IRLS575 students

The following scales will be used

Internal	For Graduate School
90-100%	A
80-89%	B
below 80%	C

General grading criteria: For ordinary papers, and unless specified otherwise, you should write about the equivalent of four pages of ordinary text (ie about 1200 words). Grammar, style, or spelling are not central-- provided the paper is understandable and the faults are not so severe as to be a distraction. Then, important grading criteria include:-

clear articulation of your views and arguments
soundness of what is said
appropriate appeal to evidence
clear and concise exposition of the points you are making
consideration of intellectual context and relevant literature

How to find out your grades: d2l has two main ways to help a student find grades. There is a link on the toolbar named 'Grades' which, if clicked on, will display all the grades. Second, if a student clicks on a submitted and graded assignment in the Dropbox, the grade, and feedback comments from the Instructor, will be displayed.

INSTRUCTOR NAME AND CONTACT ADDRESSES:

Please raise queries by email. When the course is up and running, and you are a registered student, use the course's internal email (this is best for me as it keeps material related to this course in one place). Failing that, use ordinary email to mfricke(AT)u.arizona.edu .

There will be an online office hour, during which I will be available in a Chat room. This will be at a time to suit you students, but it may well be an evening at 7pm MST.

IRLS608 Planning and Evaluation of Library and Information Centers

Tue, 03/18/2008 - 19:31 — wilding

COURSE NAME, NUMBER AND PREREQUISITES:

IRLS 608 Planning and Evaluation of Library and Information Centers

[Prerequisite: IRLS 504 or consent of the instructor.]

Tom Wilding

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course will focus on the planning and evaluation cycle as an approach to assessing and developing various library and information services and organizations, recognizing the diversity among and within library communities. Specific attention will be given to organizational environments and cultures, planning and design of library and information organizations, and the practical importance of measurement and evaluation, resource allocation, and human resources management. SIRLS competencies B5, B6, B7, C8, and C9 are addressed in this class.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

By the end of the semester, students will have demonstrated a theoretical and practical knowledge of:

organizational planning and assessment in various types of libraries and communities;
organizational structures and communications;
the relationship of planning to resource allocation;
staffing and human resource management;
space planning and management; and
leadership and supervision.

REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS:

The textbook for this class is:

Stueart, Robert D. and Barbara B. Moran. Library and Information Center Management. 7^th edition. Libraries Unlimited, 2007. ISBN 978-1-59158-406-3..

It is available from the University of Arizona bookstore. There will be other readings assigned as the course progresses. They will be noted on the class site as they occur. Some assignments require students to locate appropriate readings on their own and report on them.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

The effectiveness of this course will depend on the development of an active and engaged learning community in the online environment. It will require that students keep up with the content, readings, and assignments, and that they be active participants in the discussions related to the class. It will require that the instructor be actively engaged as well, meeting deadlines, communicating frequently, and providing feedback in a timely way. The assignments are described elsewhere but include the following:

Completion of a comprehensive management plan for a library (group project): 30 points
Completion of five article reviews: 35 points
Interview of library manager: 10 points