INFO W10

DRAFT SUBJECT TO CHANGE -- DO NOT RELY ON THIS INFORMATION YET

 * INFO W10 - Introduction to Information (3 units)
 * School of Information, UC Berkeley
 * Online Course
 * Online Discussion Sections scheduled for 1-hour slot on Fridays
 * Instructor: Brian Carver
 * GSIs: TBD
 * Contributing Instructors: Jenna Burrell, Brian Carver, Coye Cheshire, John Chuang, Paul Duguid, Bob Glushko, Nancy Van House, Deirdre Mulligan, Kimiko Ryokai, Steven Weber
 * Please use the online environment to contact instructors or GSIs.
 * Course URL: TBD

Course Overview
This lower-division survey course will provide an introduction to the study of information, an interdisciplinary science that draws on aspects of computer science, sociology, economics, business, law, library studies, cognitive science, psychology, and communication. This course will introduce major issues involved with the science and management of primarily digital information and prepare students for more advanced courses in the field. The course is organized into modules that may cover topics such as social bookmarking, networks and web security, human-computer interaction, interface design, technology and poverty, law and policy, business models and entrepreneurship. Students will develop their research, evaluation, analysis, and synthesis skills and demonstrate these through completing a course-long group project addressing an information problem of their group's choice.

Students from most disciplines will be interested in the topics covered in this course and will find the course objectives valuable when applied to their own fields. Additionally, students who are interested in the field of information studies will take this course in order to be introduced to the key concepts as well as future graduate studies at schools of information.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of the assignments and activities of this course, students will:
 * 1) apply an interdisciplinary approach to information problems by drawing on aspects of computer science, design, sociology, economics, business, law, library studies, and communication.
 * 2) develop new media skills such as retrieving and organizing  information, defining user experience in computer mediated environments, evaluation, synthesis and analysis; and competencies such as understanding the laws and policies relevant to digital technologies, and a foundation in systems architecture.
 * 3) develop necessary information literacy and online research skills to participate in the integral and emerging discipline of information science and management.
 * 4) practice digital/online citizenship, learn from their peers, collaborate, and make decisions as a team in an online environment.

Modules
Course content will be presented in modules that survey each of the disciplines within the School of Information. Each module will be one week in length and will cover key concepts of that discipline. Each module will contain short, module-specific assignments and group activities to be completed within the week of the delivery of that content module.

Case Studies
Selected final projects of Masters of Information Management and Systems (MIMS) students will be used as case studies, as they are examples of applied concepts covered in the course. These case studies will serve as the basis of engaging, interactive assignments that students will complete over the term.

Discussion Sections
Students will be organized into sections of no more than 20. Sections will meet virtually on a weekly basis. Section meeting times will be determined at the beginning of the term and led by a graduate student instructor (GSI).

Sections play a vital role in the success of the course. Students will review content, discuss questions they may have about the current module, and report on the progress of their assignments and readings. As a required meeting, it will also be a definite time for groups to coordinate. In addition, the section is a way to adjust the direction of the course based on student progress, understanding and feedback. Attendance at section is required. They will be held synchronously, and will be chat-based (video-based if possible).

Assignments

 * 1) Final Project - A collaborative, group assignment intended to demonstrate your understanding of the content presented throughout the course and exemplified in our case studies. Students must give three presentations total, the first two are checkpoints, the last counts as the final exam for the course.
 * 2) Regular, Weekly Assignments - Each week, regardless of the content module, students will be required to post at least once on the Discussion Forum, and reply at least once to someone else’s post on the Discussion Forum.
 * 3) Module-Specific Assignments - Each module will contain some small number of activities (group and otherwise) to be completed by each student within the span of that module.

How to contact Instructor/GSI
Post any questions about assignment or course content onto the forum, so the response is viewable by other students. If you have specific questions about your grade, email your GSI first.

Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for the course.

Required Materials
There is no textbook required for this class. However, you will be required to download and read text for each module. These readings will be available from the course site.

Students are required to have access to a computer with a webcam or other means of video-recording. Students must also have access to either a headset or a separate microphone and headphones for use with a computer. Students, after being given appropriate instructions, may be asked to record and upload a video introduction of themselves in the first few weeks of the course. Failure to satisfy this requirement may result in a student being administratively dropped from the course.

Grading

 * Participation (10%)
 * Module Assignments (40%)
 * Final Project (50%):
 * First presentation (10%)
 * Second presentation (15%)
 * Final presentation + write up (25%)

Late work is not accepted unless previously arranged with your GSI.

Academic Honesty
U.C. Berkeley's Code of Student Conduct prohibits all forms of academic misconduct including but not limited to cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or facilitating academic dishonesty. See Policy 102.01 at http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/coordrev/ucpolicies/aos/uc100.html and http://students.berkeley.edu/uga/conductiii-vii.asp#V It is my policy to pursue the discipline of such misconduct, including, but not limited to, the entering of a grade of F in the course and a notation (or equivalent) on the student's transcript of the reason for same.

Add/Drop Policy
The university determines the last day to drop without a "W". Check with the Registrar.

Schedule
The course schedule is outlined below.