Information Technology in Social Context
INFM 210, Section 0101
Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Plant Science Building, Room 1111
Instructor: Professor Kenneth R. Fleischmann, Ph.D.
Office: Hornbake Library Building, South Wing, Room
2118E
e-mail: kfleisch@umd.edu
Office Hours: Mondays 5-6, Tuesdays 3-3:30, and by appointment (or asynchronous
via e-mail)
Office: Hornbake Library Building, South Wing, Room
4120C
e-mail: bzbrown@umd.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 5-5:30 pm, and
by appointment (or asynchronous via e-mail)
Course Readings:
All course readings are freely available on the Web
and listed on the Blackboard course website (elms.umd.edu). Prior to each class
meeting, all students are required to read one short article. Each student must
read the article prior to the start of class and bring a copy of the article to
class.
Course Description:
Social and technical factors and forces that shape the
development of information technologies. Impact of information technologies on
society. Use of informatics concepts and perspectives to analyze information
technology applications.
Statement of Goals:
Upon successfully completing this course, each student
will be able to:
Letter Grades:
A+: 97-100
A: 93-96
A-: 90-92
B+: 87-89
B: 83-86
B-: 80-82
C+: 77-79
C: 73-76
C-: 70-72
D+: 67-69
D: 63-66
D-: 60-62
F: 0-59
Grade Components:
20% Attendance and Participation
20% In-Class Exercises
20% Mid-Term Exam
40% Final Exam
Attendance Policy:
Because much of the learning in this class will occur
within the classroom, students are required to attend class regularly.
Attendance will be taken during each class period. Absences will only be
excused in situations following university policy (illness, religious
observances, participation in University activities at the request of
university authorities, and compelling absences beyond the studentŐs control)
with proper documentation and timely notification (prior to class for
non-emergencies). Excessive tardiness may be considered as an unexcused
absence.
Class Participation:
Class participation is a critical element of this
course. The effectiveness of the course will be significantly impacted by the
quality of your participation. Class participation is not merely attendance,
but rather factors in your overall contributions to the collaborative learning
environment, based on both the quantity and quality of your interactions in all
aspects of the course. Each student is expected to participate in all aspects
of class discussion, including asking and answering questions during the
lecture, participating in small group discussions and activities, and making
contributions to discussions and activities involving the entire class.
Students should come to class prepared to discuss important points from the
required readings, as well as their perspectives on these readings. Students
should strive for balance in their contributions, and student participation
will not be based on who speaks the loudest or the longest, but on consistent
participation of significant quantity and, most importantly, quality.
Calculation of Attendance and Participation Grade:
Your attendance and class participation grade will be
calculated by multiplying the numerical assessment of your class participation
by the percentage of classes that you attend (with exceptions made for
documented, university-recognized absences as noted above). Thus, by actively
participating in each class, you will receive a full letter grade higher than
if you were to skip half of the classes or to be half-awake for all of the
classes.
In-Class Exercises:
The purpose of the in-class exercises is to provide
regular and immediate assessment of and feedback about understanding of the
course topic for each class meeting. Success on these exercises will depend on
thoroughness in completing the required readings for a particular topic,
attention paid to the lecture for that topic and participation in discussion
for that topic. Some of the in-class exercises will be completed individually
while others will be completed in small groups of varying sizes randomly
selected by the instructor. Exercises must be turned in prior to class
discussion of the exercises to get credit.
Examinations:
There will be two exams, a mid-term exam and a final
exam. Exams may include questions such as multiple choice, true/false,
matching, short answer, and essay. The mid-term exam will be held on October
23, and the final exam will be held on December 19. Make sure to arrive at
exams on time and to bring a pen or pencil to the exam. All other items must be
put away prior to exams.
Academic Integrity:
Students are reminded that, as one of a small number
of universities with a student-administered Code of Academic Integrity and an
Honor Pledge, the University has absolute expectations for academic integrity
from every student. The Code strictly prohibits students from cheating on
exams, plagiarizing papers, submitting the same paper for credit in two courses
without authorization, buying papers, submitting fraudulent documents, and
forging signatures. Instances of any suspected academic dishonesty will be
reported and handled according to University policy and procedures. For a more
detailed description of the University's definition of academic dishonesty,
visit http://www.faculty.umd.edu/teach/integrity.html
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit http://www.shc.umd.edu.
Accommodations for
Students with Disabilities:
The University is committed
to providing appropriate accommodations for students with documented
disabilities. In order to ascertain what accommodations should be provided to
facilitate your learning experience, please be sure to inform the instructor of
your needs at the beginning of the semester. The instructor will then contact
relevant parties such as the UniversityŐs Disability Support Services, who will
make arrangements with you to determine and implement appropriate academic
accommodations. For more information on the UniversityŐs policies, see
http://www.faculty.umd.edu/teach/disabilities.html.
Emergency Preparedness:
Information about the status
of the campus is available at http://www.umd.edu/emergencypreparedness/. If the
campus is closed, please make sure to stay safe. Information about possible
rescheduling of course activities will be provided via e-mail and/or Blackboard
once the campus has reopened.
Use of Portable Electronic Devices:
All electronic devices must be turned off throughout
class meetings and exams. The only exception is laptops, which may only be used
during class meetings for note taking and accessing the course readings.
Syllabus Change Policy:
This syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject
to change with advance notice.
Schedule of Readings and Assignments:
August 30: Class Introduction
UNIT I: Google
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/112738419/PDFSTART
September 6: Google – Trust
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue3/pan.html
September 11: Google – Information Behavior
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue6_10/wiggins/index.html
September 13: Football Game – No Class
September 18: Google – Information
Architecture
http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Jun-07/Wright.pdf
September 20: Google – Educational
Applications
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_8/head/index.html
September 25: Google – Indexing
http://informationr.net/ir/9-3/paper180.html
September 27: Google – Privacy
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2006/11/google.html
UNIT II: YouTube
October 2: YouTube -- Copyright
http://www.abc.net.au/news/opinion/items/200705/s1913562.htm
October 4: YouTube – Venture Capital
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/288572_vc13.html
October 9: YouTube – Usability
http://www.slate.com/id/2140635/
October 11: YouTube – Accessibility
http://informationr.net/ir/12-3/paper309.html
October 16: YouTube – Political Process
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue12_8/kann/index.html
October 18: Midterm Exam Review
October 23: Midterm Exam
UNIT III: Wikipedia
October 25: Mass Collaboration
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/07/31/060731fa_fact
October 30: Authenticity
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=16057
November 1: Trust
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=17273
November 6: Anonymity
http://www.wired.com/politics/onlinerights/news/2007/08/wiki_tracker?currentPage=all
November 8: Culture
http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue1/pfeil.html
UNIT IV: Second Life
November 13: Virtual Reality
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/08/07/virtual.living/
November 15: Identity
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB118670164592393622.html
November 20: Governmentality
http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/special11_9/malaby/index.html
November 27: Economy
http://www.technologyreview.com/printer_friendly_article.aspx?id=19193
December 4: Educational Applications
http://elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=articles&article=44-1
December 6: Serious Leisure
http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Aug-07/Urban.pdf
December 11: Final Exam Review
December 19, 10:30 am – 12:30 pm: Final Exam