"The context for this course is information environments in a multi-cultural society. After an initial exploration of multi-culturalism, community and co-cultures in general, the course focuses on the perspectives of two co-cultures: Hispanics and Native Americans. The information environments include the media, museums, libraries, archives, and the Internet. 3 credit hours."
SIRLS Competencies
The course’s primary focus is on SIRLS competency C8: Students will demonstrate an understanding of how diversity contributes to the library and information professions and analyze information issues from diverse perspectives.
In addition, the course covers aspects related the following SIRLS competencies:
A1) Students will demonstrate understanding of basic principles, concepts, and terminology related to the creation, organization, management, access, and use of knowledge and information and will demonstrate the ability to apply them to practical problems.
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.C8) Students will demonstrate an understanding of how diversity contributes to the library and information professions and analyze information issues from diverse perspectives.
B5) Students will demonstrate knowledge of types of library and information professions, settings, services, and roles and be able to analyze key issues and potential approaches to these in the areas of their career interest.
B7) Students will demonstrate knowledge of the roles of interdisciplinary, interprofessional, and community collaboration and alliances in the provision of library and information services.
C9) Students will demonstrate an understanding of the values and service orientation of the library and information professions and their applications in their areas of career interest.
Teaching and Learning Methods
The instructor is a facilitator who sets up a learning environment, including goals and other pedagogical guides for each session. Students are then in charge of their own learning, both meeting the goals and extending their learning into areas that interest them. Classes are designed for students to explore what they have read and what they have discovered through exercises and share what they are learning with others. In addition, guest speakers will provide students with co-cultural perspectives in their areas of expertise.
Course Topics
The course will cover the topics below. The order of the topics may vary slightly depending on the availability of guest speakers. A final schedule of topics, dates and readings will be available early in the semester.
- Introduction
- Multi-Culturalism, Co-cultures and Community
- Cultural Competency/Fluency
- Different Ways of Knowing
- Co-cultures and the Media: Publishing, Broadcasting, Music and Film
- Cultural Heritage Institutions and Co-Cultures: tours
- Museums and Co-Cultures
- Archives and Co-Cultures
- Libraries and Co-Cultures
- Digital Information: Access and Literacy
- Digital Information: Co-cultural Resources
- Creating Digital Resources in Co-Cultural Communities: Group Projects
- Working in Community; Community in Cyberspace
- Indigenous Intellectual Property
- Diversity in the Workplace
Students will:
Develop a working understanding of what it means to be a multi-cultural society and the interactions within and among co-cultures and communities.
Explore major information environments from two co-cultural perspectives: Hispanic and Native American.
Practice professional skills, such as searching for information, expressing opinions clearly in person and in writing, working together in groups, and giving presentations.
There are no books to purchase. Required readings will be available through password-protected electronic reserves, accessible through the University Library’s website. Supplementary readings are also available through electronic reserves. Occasionally, both required or supplementary readings will be available on the open Web.
Weekly Reading: Students are expected to read the weekly assignments before class and come to class prepared to discuss what the have read. Class discussion of readings is part of the participation grade (see below)
Weekly Searching Assignments: Students will be given a weekly searching assignment Students will also be expected to share what they found in in their blogs and in class. Assignments will be collected at the start of class. Grades consist of 1 point for satisfactory completion or 0 points for non-completion or unsatisfactory work. Late assignments will not be accepted. A truly exceptional job will earn an extra credit point. (15 points).
Weekly Blog Posting: In addition to sharing resources that they have discovered, students will be expected to share something interesting from their week’s reading and learning each week on their blogs. Each week’s blog will be worth one point. Failure to blog, or a blog of minimal contribution will not receive credit. Students will be informed if their blogs are not satisfactory. The blog may be completed at any time during the week, but must be done by the start of each class. (15 points).
Interview: Students will interview a professional in an information environment regarding co-cultural services in that environment and write up the interview following the assignment instructions. The interview, in paper format, is due at the start of class, September 17. (10 points)
Group Presentation: Students will form groups and identify a project in which information professionals facilitated the development of information resources for a co-cultural community. Students will present give a presentation of what they found to other students, using PowerPoint or other presentation software. Presentations will be presented on November 12.. A handout consisting of the text of the slides must also be submitted to the instructor, and may be distributed, if desired, to the class. (10 points; group grade).
Professional Development Activity: Students will select one professional development activity, attend, and write a report, emphasizing any co-cultural aspects or insights. The report may be submitted as completed, but no later than December 3. (10 points).
Final Search Log: Students will complete a "Search Log Sheet" for every searching assignment during the week. In addition, they should complete a sheet for every additional source that they search during the research for their final papers. Students should feel free to add to their search logs throughout the semester, as they become more proficient or use the source more often. All the search log sheets together will be due on December 10, along with the final paper. (10 points)
Final paper: Students will select a co-culture as the focus for their final paper and write a formal, academic paper on some aspect of information services to that group, following assignment instructions. The final paper should be submitted to the instructor's mailbox in the SIRLS office do later than noon December 10. (20 points)
Participation: A student's participation grade is based on regular attendance, participation in discussion, and participation in Q/A with guest lecturers. (10 points)
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
Assignments must be completed following the assignment instructions. Failure to follow all instructions may incur grading penalties. Assignment instructions will be distributed on the first day of class. Students are responsible for receiving, keeping and using these instructions.
Late policy: Weekly assignments (searching assignments and blogs) will not be accepted after the class for which they were assigned. Other assignments will be accepted after the due date ONLY for circumstances outside the student’s control. In most cases, permission to submit a paper late must be obtained before the due date.
Writing Style: All written work must be in a style that is understandable to the reader. In general, this means following standard English expression, sentence structure, usage and grammar.
Formal academic writing style is expected for the Interview Assignment, the Professional Development Report, and the Final Paper. Formal academic writing style includes clear overall organization, clear and formal paragraph development, concise and clear expression of ideas, avoidance of the first person, and use of standard English grammar, spelling and usage. Students who need help with formal academic writing are strongly encouraged to use the UA writing center resources. Online writing resources can also be founded at OWL, Purdue University’s online writing lab. For formal academic writing in 550, students are expected to use APA writing style.
Informal writing style, including use of the first person, is acceptable for searching assignments and in blogs.
IncompletesThe 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.
550 Policy on Incompletes:
A grade of I (incomplete) will only be given for circumstances beyond the student's control, and only if requested in advance of the final class. At the time of request, the instructor and the student will negotiate a due date, usually before the start of the next semester and rarely more than 4 weeks after the last class.
Grading Criteria
All assignments will be graded on the following:
- Compliance with instructions
- Clear English prose, understandable to the reader.
Formal writing assignments (Interview Assignment, Professional Development Report, Final Paper) will be graded on the following:
- Compliance with instructions
- Clear organization, suited to the topic, including use of section headings
- Clear paragraph development, focusing on one clear idea and supporting documents
- Use of evidence to support claims, assertions, and opinions
- Appropriate use and citation of source materials (APA Style)
- Evidence of analytical thinking
- Clear, concise expression of ideas
- Standard English grammar, usage, punctuation and spelling, including avoidance of the first person
- Freedom from proofing errors, including word omissions and errors spell-checkers miss.
Informal writing assignments (Weekly searching assignments and blogs) must be clear but can use informal style, including the first person. Evidence backing up opinions is nice to have but not required.
Grading Scale:
The University of Arizona allows only the following grades on transcripts: A, B, C, D, E, I or K.
The grading scale for formal writing assignments in 550 follows, with the corresponding UA grade in parentheses.
A: 95-100 (UA = A)
A-: 90-94 (UA = A)
B+ 87-89 (UA = B)
B: 84-86 (UA = B)
B-: 80-83 (UA = B)
C+: 77-79 (UA =C )
C: 74-76 (UA =C )
C-: 70-73 (UA =C )
D: 60-69 (UA=D)
F: below 59: (UA = E)
Grading for other assignments is by points, indicated on the syllabus.
Jana Bradley
Professor and Director, SIRLS
Interim Knowledge River Coordinator
520-621-5217
Office Hours: Mondays, 1- 3
Other hours by appointment
Contact by email is encouraged
