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Course Description

Exploration of research concepts in library science and information technology with an emphasis on the evolution of information, trends and issues in using online catalogs, subscription databases, evaluating online material, and using web sites for research. Required course for Information Technology Minor.    

Course Objectives

• To understand the various definitions of information
• To gain a basic knowledge of the historical developments of information technologies over time
• To understand the role of librarians and libraries
• To understand how libraries use technology for information organization, storage, access, and retrieval
• To gain interdisciplinary proficiency in seeking information via electronic subscription databases and library catalogs
• To recognize the difference between the World Wide Web, library catalogs, and subscription databases available via the Internet
• To gain proficiency in seeking information via the World Wide Web
• To critically evaluate information
• To become knowledgeable about information-related issues facing libraries and higher education

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Contacting the Instructor & Office Hours

The best way to reach me is by email (radomr at uncw dot edu). I will usually respond to your email within 24 hours, often sooner. You may also contact me through AOL Instant Messenger (rachelrandallisl) or use the Meebo chat window on our course page (below). Please visit me at the reference desk for help with this class or any other research. I'm at the desk Tuesdays, from 12-2 p.m., and alternating Thursdays, 6-10 p.m. Office hours are Mondays, 4-5 p.m. My office is on the 2nd floor of the library, near the Juvenile Collection. Feel free to stop by my office, send me an email, chat or schedule an appointment.

                            

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Course Overview

The course can be divided into three major topics. The first weeks are spent developing research skills, with topics including library organization, library collections, and methods of conducting research using a variety of resources. The focus then shifts to establishing a foundational understanding of information, media, and information and communication technologies (ICTs), as well as cultivating critical thinking skills. Finally, issues involving ICTs, libraries and society in the information age are discussed. An outline of course topics can be found below.

There is no required text book for this class, but you must have a flash drive/thumb drive/USB key to use in class.

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Course Policies

Academic Integrity
Neither plagiarism nor cheating will be tolerated. Anyone found either cheating or plagiarizing the work of others will receive a "0" for the assignment or exam. Further disciplinary action may be taken. Please become familiar with the Academic Honor Code for definitions of plagiarism and typical punishments for it. Ask if you have any questions.

Assignments
Assignments are due on the day listed on the course calendar or as announced in class. There is usually a one week grace period on assignments. Late assignments must be turned in within one week of the original due date to be considered for full credit. Assignments turned in after the one week grace period will receive a maximum of half credit (see "Late Assignments," next section). There are exceptions to the one week grace period; see the course calendar. Detailed descriptions of assignments will be given in class.

Late Assignments
Turning in an assignment over one week late will result in a dramatic lowering of your grade for the assignment. If you earn a 90-100% on an assignment, but turn it in 8 or more days late, you will receive 50% credit. Below are details:

• if you earn 90-100%, but turn it in over a week late, you receive 50%
• if you earn 80-89%, but turn it in over a week late, you receive 40%
• if you earn 60-79%, but turn it in over a week late, you receive 30%

Exceptions to this policy will only be given in rare instances, i.e. severe illness, and must be discussed as soon as possible with the instructor.

Attendance
Your grade depends in part on in-class work and participation; therefore, attendance will be recorded at the beginning of each class, beginning Wednesday, January 21. Your attendance will play a major part in your final grade; missing more than three (3) classes will severely affect your grade and will likely result in a lower letter grade. (See "Participation," next section.) All absences from class, whether they are discussed with the instructor or not, are recorded as absences. There are no excused absences. Exceptions to this policy will only be given in rare instances, i.e. severe illness, and must be discussed with the instructor. It is your responsibility to make up any missed assignments and get notes from a classmate if you miss a class.

Participation
Participation in class counts for 60 points, or 12% of your grade. The participation grade is determined by your attendance (50 points) and by your attention and courtesy in class throughout the semester (10 points). The points you earn for attention and courtesy will be determined by, among other things, how alert, active and vocal you are and how you treat other learners in the class. Here are details about the attendance score:

• miss one class, attendance = 45/50
• miss two classes, attendance = 30/50
• miss three classes, attendance = 15/50
• miss four or more classes = 0/50 and reduced attention and courtesy scores (a score of 0/50 will most likely lead to a drop in your letter grade)

Exams
If you know in advance that you will be absent for an exam due to travel plans or a similar situation, arrangements must be made with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the exam date (sooner if possible). Make-up exams will only be given in rare instances and require that you contact the instructor at least 24 hours before the exam and provide requested documentation regarding the reason for your absence.

Preparation
Assigned readings should be read before class so that we can discuss them as a group.

Courtesy
Please arrive to class on time; lectures will not be restarted. Be courteous. Respect the right of all individuals to hold and express their own opinions, especially during class discussions.

Cell Phones
Keep your cell phones quiet during class and do not answer them unless absolutely necessary. If you must take a call, please leave the classroom.

Food and Drink
Please be tidy. All drinks must have lids. Do not distract others when eating or drinking.

Special Accommodations
Please inform me of any disabilities or necessary accommodations by the second week of classes.

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Grading

Your grade will be based on the points you earn out of a possible 500 points total. Below is the grading tally:

Assignments (400 points)
Annotated Bibliography	100
Blog	100
Library Collection Presentations	50
Database Presentations	50
Worksheets	50
Wiki Assignment	40
Flickr Assignment	10
Participation (60 points)
Attendance	50
Courtesy	10
Exams (40 points)

Here is the grading scale:

A  100-90%

B  89-80%

C  79-70%

D   69-60%

F  59% or less

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Expected Workload

This is a 3-credit hour class. It is typical to expect three hours out-of-class work for each credit hour you are enrolled in (i.e., 3-credit hours = 9 hours of work out of class). For this course, you can expect a short assignment after each class that is due the next class. These assignments will usually be either a worksheet or a reading with a short reflection essay. There are several significant assignments, including group presentations and an annotated bibliography, that will be due throughout the semester and will take more of your time. Please plan accordingly.

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Assignments

Annotated Bibliography (100 points)
From a list of topics, you will chose one to research and find 5 sources related to your topic. You will write proper MLA citations for these sources and evaluate them based on particular criteria. The evaluations of each source and a brief summary will be used to create the annotations for each source. The citations and annotations that make up the bibliography will be uploaded to a web page that you will create using the open source HTML editor KompoZer. More information on this assignment will be given in class.

The bibliography assignment will be divided into multiple due dates:

• Part A, due Monday, March 30 -- No one week grace period
• Part B, due Wednesday, April 8 -- No one week grace period
• Part C, due Wednesday, April 15 -- No one week grace period

Blog (100 points)
You will write responses to most class readings on a web journal, or web log, known as a blog. Each student will have a blog and will post entries on his or her blog frequently. In addition to reading responses, you will also use your blogs to reflect on particular class meetings and define terms and phrases related to the class. More information on this assignment will be given in class.

The blog score of 100 points total is broken down as follows:

• reading responses to 7 readings (6 points each) = 42 points
• 5 sets of definitions for library terminology (4 points for each set) = 20 points
• class reviews = 30 points
• 4 comments on other students' blogs = 8 points

Library Collection Presentations (50 points)
The class will be divided into four groups. Each group will deliver a short presentation to the class on a specific section of the library: reference collection, general collection, periodicals, or government documents. The presentations will focus on how researchers would use the collection and what resources are included in the collection. More details will be given in class.

Database Presentations (50 points)
Grouped by majors, you and 1-3 partner(s) will give a presentation about a subscription article database that is relevant to your discipline. You will show strategies for researching the database, how to interpret the results returned to you and discuss the database's relevance to researchers. Again, more information will be provided in class.

Worksheets (50 points)
Throughout the semester, worksheets will be assigned. Please see the sections on Assignments and Late Assignments under "Course Policies" above because you will lose points for assignments turned in late. These worksheets are designed to help you become more familiar with the library's resources and with methods of information evaluation.

Wiki Assignment (40 points)
Words and phrases discussed in class will be used to create a glossary of library terms. You will define many of these words or phrases on your blogs. You will also upload your definitions to the class wiki, where your definitions will be compared with other students' definitions and a new, "best" definition will emerge. More information on this assignment will be given in class.

Flickr Assignment (10 points)
In groups, you will take photographs of Randall Library and the photos will be uploaded to the social networking site Flickr. Your photos will highlight important or interesting aspects of the library and will be labeled, organized, and discussed in class. More information about this assignment will be provided.

Extra Credit

You may receive up to 5 points of extra credit to apply to your semester grade if you complete any of the following.

• Attend a library event and write a 1-page summary and personal response (1 point)
• Attend a library workshop and write a 1-page summary and personal response (1 point)
• Watch Project Censored (it's a video on reserve at the circulation desk) and write a 2-page summary and personal response (1 point)
• Watch The World According to Google (it's another video on reserve at the circulation desk) and write a 2-page summary and personal response (1 point)
• Write a detailed script for a Youtube video about research at Randall Library. Include dialogue and descriptions of what viewers will see on screen. The script should be for a video longer than 1 minute and less than 4 minutes (2 points)
• Write a 2-page outline for a paper on a topic related to information technology. You must relate the topic to an application to, or discuss it in the context of, a particular profession or field and must have at least 3 cited sources (2 points)

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Important Due Dates & Exams 

February 4	Collection Presentations
March 4	Midterm Exam
March 18	Database Presentations
March 30	Annotated Bibliography Part A
April 8	Annotated Bibliography Part B
April 15	Annotated Bibliography Part C
April 27	Final Exam

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Course Calendar

Note: All dates and topics are subject to change. Worksheet due dates are not listed.

Class 1: January 7, Wednesday	Introduction Take Felder's Learning Style Inventory in class
Class 2: January 12, Monday	Library History Assignment: Read Finder, Harmon, Hass or Nakashima - E-Res
Class 3: January 14, Wednesday (last day to drop without a grade)	Social Networking Sites & Library Web Site Watch Blogs in Plain English on CommonCraft.com in class Assignment: Flickr Assignment (no one week grace period) & definitions set #1
No class January 19	MLK Holiday
Class 4: January 21, Wednesday	Library Catalog & Tour Public Services Due: Flickr assignment (no one week grace period) & definitions set #1
Class 5: January 26, Monday	Technical Services Tour & Library of Congress Classification Assignment: definitions set #2
Class 6: January 28, Wednesday	Tour Government Documents & Discuss Group Presentations Due: definitions set #2 Assignment: reading by Brock Read with blog response - E-Res
Class 7: February 2, Monday	Wikis, Wikipedia & Reference Watch Jon Udell's Heavy Metal Umlaut Due: blog response to Brock Read
Class 8: February 4, Wednesday	Student Presentations: Library Collections Due: group presentations Assignment: two readings - one by LaRue, one by Biehle - E-Res
Class 9: February 9, Monday	Book Censorship Assignment: two readings - one by Altman, one by Revkin, with single blog response to both - E-Res
Class 10: February 11, Wednesday	Library Databases & Peer Review Due: blog response to Altman and Revkin Assignment: reading by Stebbins (p. 47-50) - E-Res
Class 11: February 16, Monday	Advanced Searching Techniques
Class 12: February 18, Wednesday	Information Timeline and Broadening/Narrowing Searches Watch tutorials from PSU Libraries and NWMS Owens Library
Class 13: February 23, Monday (last day to withdraw with a "W" is 2/24)	Finding Full-Text Articles & Discuss Group Presentations Assignment: definitions set #3
Class 14: February 25, Wednesday	Subject Specific Databases  Class does not meet today Assignment: Worksheet #4 on blog Due: definitions set #3
Class 15: March 2, Monday	Google Scholar & Midterm Review
Class 16: March 4, Wednesday	Midterm Exam
No class March 9, March 11	Spring Break
Class 17: March 16, Monday	Plagiarism & Citation Assignment: reading by Stebbins (p. 153-9) with blog response - E-Res
Class 18: March 18, Wednesday	Student Presentations: Databases Due: group presentations & blog response to Stebbins Assignment: bring flashdrive to next class & reading by O'Leary with blog response - E-Res
Class 19: March 23, Monday	Annotated Bibliography & KompoZer Work Day Due: bring flashdrive with you to class & blog response to O'Leary Assignment: begin work on bibliography & reading by Sherman & Price with blog response - E-Res
Class 20: March 25, Wednesday	History of the Internet & Web & Advanced Google Searching Due: blog response to Sherman & Price
Class 21: March 30, Monday	Critical Thinking & Media Ownership Due: annotated bibliography part A (no one week grace period) Assignment: reading by Lessig with blog response - E-Res
Class 22: April 1, Wednesday	Copyright Due: blog response to Lessig Assignment: 2 comments on students' blogs
Class 23: April 6, Monday	Open Access & KompoZer Workday Due: 2 comments on students' blogs Assignment: definitions set #4
Class 24: April 8, Wednesday	Wetpaint Wiki & Assignment Due: annotated bibliography part B (no one week grace period) Assignment: begin work on wiki
Class 25: April 13, Monday	Internet Censorship Due: definitions set #4 Assignment: save annotated bibliography part C in final form on your flashdrive (no one week grace period) & bring flashdrive to next class
Class 26: April 15, Wednesday	Uploading Your Web Page, then The First Amendment & Libraries Due: bring flashdrive to class & annotated bibliography part C (no one week grace period) Assignment: reading by Eicher with blog response - E-Res
Class 27: April 20, Monday	Tour Archives & Special Collections Due: blog response to Eicher Assignment: 2 comments on students' blogs & definitions set #5 (no one week grace period)
Class 28: April 22, Wednesday	Tour Curriculum Materials Center & Exam Review Class Meets in School of Education Building, 1st floor, CMC Due: 2 comments on students' blogs & definitions set #5 (no one week grace period) Due Friday, 4/24, by 11:59 p.m.: wiki assignment (no one week grace period)
Class 29: April 27, Monday	Final Exam

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