IST 499w
Senior Seminar in Information Science

Mondays, 4:15-7:05 pm
Arts & Sciences 0015

Jennifer Powers, PhD
jjpowers@uamail.albany.edu

Schedule

Please note that this schedule is subject to change, so please check back!

Date In-class Topic In-class workshop Homework Assignment (due at start of class)
1/23

Introduction, expectations, assignments, books

What is information?
How do we get information?
Does how we get information affect the information we get?

PowerPoint

 

Presentations

 

 

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1/30

"How to" presentations

Memo

Career Development Center presentation

Resumes, interviews


NYWired usernames and passwords handed out


Memos

Write a 1 page paper on what you expect from this course. This paper will not be graded, but may affect your final grade if there is any doubt about your final grade at the end of the semester (ie, should you get a B- or a B?)


Be prepared to do a 5 minute presentation on "how to" do something. You may bring props if they will support your presentation.


Bring your resume in it's current form to class. If you don't have a resume, create one.

Read How to Ensure Your Resume Produces Top Results and The Most Important Ten Seconds of Your Job Search

 

2/6

"How to" presentations, con't

 

Cover letters

Guidelines for paper writing

Bring 1 cover letter in its current form to class.

 

2/13

Team 1: Censorship vs. Free Speech Online

Final paper specifications: Social Implications...

Read:
What You Need to Know About What They Want to Hear
Don't Miss These Interview Tips
Thank-You Notes: An Integral Part of Your Career Design

Listen to the following audio clip:

Job Interviews Get Creative

 

2/20

no class

 

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2/27

Team 2: USA PATRIOT Act

 

3/6

Team 3: Hackers and Security

 

Peer review requirements

Reaction paper due (RP)


You must finalize your final paper topic with me
NYWired Business course must be completed. (NYW1)
3/13

Team 4: Children Online

 

Reaction paper peer review due (RP)

 

3/20

Team 5: Online Games

 

NYWired Desktop course must be completed. (NYW2)

 

3/27

Team 6: Digital Millenium Copyright Act

 

Recent IST graduates presentation

Reaction paper due for grading (RP)

4/3

Team 7: Privacy Online

 

Gwenn T. Lazar
NYWired

NYWired IT course must be completed. (NYW3)


NYWired 1 page reflection due.

4/10

no class

 

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4/17

Team 8: AI

 

.

Draft paper due--bring a hard copy of your draft paper to class.

4/24 Final Presentations   Peer review due--bring 2 copies of your peer review comments to class. You will return 1 copy to your partner and 1 copy to me for grading.
5/1 Final Presentations   Find a job description you are interested in. Write a cover letter for that job. Turn the description, cover letter, and resume in. Hard copy only please.
5/8

Beer Game--attendance is mandatory

Class will be held in the Terrace Lounge, Campus Center

Rod MacDonald

Final paper due--hand in your final paper and your peer reviewed copy.

 

Assignments

Please note: late assignments will have points deducted!

Team Presentation:

Each week we meet, one team will lead the class discussion.This means that your team will:

You will be graded on your presentation skills, your PowerPoint notes, the memo your team produces and your discussion participation in other team's presentations (see below).

If you are not presenting on a given week, you must turn in your answers to the discussion questions. Spend some time each week reading the memo, and then researching and reflecting on the topic and the questions. Please hand in your answers (hard copy) to me at the beginning of class. You cannot turn in answers to your own team's discussion questions.

Draft and Final Paper Assignment/Peer Review Assignment:

You will select a topic relating to information science and do in-depth research on it. It may or may not be a topic we cover in class, but if we did cover it, you must examine a different angle or look more in-depth at it than we did in class. The final paper must be no less than 12 pages and no more than 15 pages, with standard formatting. You will present your research to the class at the end of the semester (April 24 or May 1, to be determined). You will need to turn in a draft of your paper by April 17. That week, one of your classmates will peer review your paper (and you will review someone else's paper) and turn it back to you on April 24. The peer review will consist of positive and critical comments on the draft, as well as an attachment with your notes and comments to the writer. You will also turn a copy of your comments in to me to be graded on April 24. The final paper is due on May 8.

4-Page Reaction Paper:

You will write a 4-page reaction paper. I will hand out the specific assignment in class. The paper is due at the *start* of class. Late papers will not be accepted. You will also peer review a classmate's paper. You will have time to revise your paper according to the peer review before you submit the paper for grading.

NYWired Tutorials:

You must participate in at least 3 hours of each of 3 categories of online tutorials (for a total of at least 9 hours). View the catalog of available courses at: http://www.nywired.org/. The categories include Business, Desktop, and IT. There is a self-assessment guide to help you determine which courses to take, although you are not limited to those. You must select at least 3 hours worth of courses within each category (courses seem to range from 30 minutes to 5 hours). You will need a username and password, which I will supply to you on the second night of class. There is a troubleshooting guide online for you to download. You will do the tutorial on your own, online. Basic login instructions are available, as are additional instructions for logging in. (NB SkillSoft does not work on the Mac or with FireFox.) You also have a free subscription to Books24x7 (see details). The tutorials end with a self assessment. NYWired will report to me if you have satisfactorily completed your courses. In addition, I will need a 1 page reflection and assessment about your experience: Would you take more courses? Is it a useful opportunity for students? How else could it be integrated into your undergraduate curriculum? Etc.

Grades

Participation in class discussions and debates = 5 points

Team memo reflection questions/answers (5 out of 7) = (2 * 5) = 10 points

Reaction paper (peer review comments = 5, paper = 10) = 15 points

NYWired tutorials (pick 1 within each of 3 categories) = (3 * 5) = 15 points

Resume and cover letter = 5 points

Team presentation (oral presentation = 20, PowerPoint notes = 2.5 and memo = 2.5) = 25 points

Final paper (15) & presentation (5) & peer review comments (5) = 25 points

Points will be deducted for unexcused absences, lateness, and early departures.

Last updated Tuesday, March 21, 2006