Syllabus
About the Course
COURSE INFO
Instructor: Elliott Hauser
Email: eah13@email.unc.edu
Office hours: I will be available for office hours after class on Monday. Email me to schedule an in-person or video meeting at another time.
Time: 3:35-4:50pm
Days: MoWe
Location: 117 Manning Hall
Labs: During class. See Schedule.
Dates: 24 August 2016 - 7 December 2016
Exam period: 4:00pm 10 December 2016
GitHub: https://github.com/inls161
Schedule feed: /feed
INLS161 focuses on concepts and tools necessary for communicating information to users. This is a critical component of information literacy, which involves seeking, evaluating, and utilizing information. INLS151, titled "Retrieving and Analyzing Information," is focused on the seeking and evaluating components of information literacy. This course is about effective use and communication.
Information Literacy
From the American Library Association:
Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to 'recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.'
The technological component of information literacy is also defined:
Information literacy is related to information technology skills, but has broader implications for the individual, the educational system, and for society. Information technology skills enable an individual to use computers, software applications, databases, and other technologies to achieve a wide variety of academic, work-related, and personal goals. Information literate individuals necessarily develop some technology skills.
A full information literacy curriculum would include:
- Tool literacy - The ability to use print and electronic resources including software
- Resource literacy - The ability to understand the form, format, location and access methods of information resources
- Social-structural literacy - Knowledge of how information is socially situated and produced. It includes understanding the scholarly publishing process
- Research literacy - The ability to understand and use information technology tools to carry our research including discipline-related software
- Publishing literacy - The ability to produce a text or multimedia report of the results of research
Tools and Concepts
The course introduces some basic technology tools as an essential component of information literacy training. We will cover the following:
- Operating on a remote system
- Using version control software to maintain your workflow
- Manipulating and formatting text-based documents
- Processing data using spreadsheets
- Processing and storing data in databases
- Developing presentation materials to communicate your work effectively
- Beyond!
We will begin with the building blocks of the Internet and the World Wide Web, to be certain we understand what the our basic tools are doing for us. This will allow us to better understand methods for creating well-formed materials to be used on the Web. We will also introduce concepts and practice skills relevant to effective use and understanding of the power built into the tools listed above.
Some of the tools used may be familiar to you already while others may not. If you already know how to use a given set of tools, it will behoove you to learn a new set, thus increasing your technical skills. We will use primarily Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS) when possible and conduct and submit most of our work in open repositories online.
A Note on Computers
This is a paper-free course. There will be no paper products generated in this class and there is no printing requirement.
All work done in INLS161 will be done on computers either on your personal laptop or on the desktop systems in the SILS lab. You can use whatever computer you wish in the lab that we will use as our classroom. You may also use your own laptops. In most cases, work will be done using web applications in such a way that you might access your workspace from any computer, anywhere.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Readings
There will be something to read for each session, but they are not readings for memorization. The purpose of the readings is to provide you a context within which to experience the lectures and exercises that follow. You will want to do the readings to have a framework within which to work. Additionally, readings will provide you with helpful information in support of the assignments associated with each class session.
Most readings will be available either on the open web or through the univerity's proxy. Any that are not will be available in Sakai.
There are a few longer pieces that will serve as optional or recommended readings that I will refer to over the course of the semester. These readings are more general pieces about computing and information technology in general, its history, and its future.
Session Notes
Pay attention to the schedule. Skim over them before coming to class.
I may not get to everything in the class notes and
In addition, readings or activities will be listed in the margin session notes for the subsequent class.
Please read, skim, or otherwise do what these margin notes say to do with the resource
Linked Resources
Part of your responsibility for this class is investigating and sharing resources that you find on the web or elsewhere that you think might be helpful to us. The best and most current resources for using technology tools are not going to be found between the pages of books. Rather, they will be on forums, blogs, and in ebooks like some of those listed above. They best way to keep abreast of current techniques is to keep up with the resources and tutorials available online.
Other readings
Interfaces
Harris, Tristan.This is an interesting and insightful piece about how design choices in interfaces affect how we think and interact. “How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds — from a Magician and Google’s Design Ethicist.” Medium. Last modified May 18, 2016. https://medium.com/swlh/how-technology-hijacks-peoples-minds-from-a-magician-and-google-s-design-ethicist-56d62ef5edf3.
The Linux Command Line
Shotts, William E.This book will give you everything you need to be able to operate in a command shell. It is a good reference for everything command line. If you like books in physical form, you can also get it on Amazon. The Linux Command Line: A Complete Introduction. San Francisco, California: No Starch Press, 2013. http://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php.
Pro Git
Chacon, Scott, and Ben Straub.The definitive guide to using git. This will come in handy. Pro Git. 2nd ed. Apress, 2014. https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2.
Wynn, Joseph.These resources for using git will be very helpful. They may be used in class for reference. “A Hacker’s Guide to Git.” Wildly Innacurate. Last modified May 25, 2014. http://wildlyinaccurate.com/a-hackers-guide-to-git/.
Dudler, Roger. “Git: The Simple Guide.” Git: The Simple Guide. Last modified 2015. http://rogerdudler.github.io/git-guide/.
How to Code in HTML5 and CSS3
Wielgosik, Damian.Good introduction to HTML and CSS. We will be referring to this and other guides. How to Code in HTML5 and CSS3, 2015. http://howtocodeinhtml.com/index.html#toc.
The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint
Tufte, Edward R.We will use this to unlearn what we have learned and then reorient our minds to create better visual presentation aides. Definitely read the whole thing. The Cognitive Style of Powerpoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within. Cheshire, Connecticut: Graphics Press, 2011. [Available in Sakai, open web, or on Amazon.]
What is Code?
Ford, Paul.This is an excellent piece about the need for people at all levels in industries both technologically-focused and otherwise to have a better understanding of how software is developed and implemented. I will refer to this piece occasionally and sections of it will be assigned throughout the course. It is probably a good idea to read the whole thing. “What Is Code? If You Don’t Know, You Need to Read This.” Bloomberg.com. Last modified June 11, 2015. http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-paul-ford-what-is-code/.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Lectures
Session Notes
Class sessions will have online lecture notes (which will include links to supplementary readings). The notes will also include practical exercises that may either be required or recommended (pay attention to which is which), links to other related sources of information on the topic under consideration, and required readings for the subsequent session. Some lecture notes will be very detailed and loaded with images; some lecture notes will be spare and loaded with hyperlinks (recognize that links may change over time).
Refer to the lecture notes either to prepare for what you are going to learn or to review what you have learned. Lecture notes will be made available before each class session. See the schedule for links to lecture notes.
Daily Plan
What follows is a typical plan. All sessions will not look like this, but many will.
The first 5 to 10 minutes will be reviewing the material from the previous session. This will be mostly done by you. You will talk about what you learned and I will listen.
The next 50 to 60 minutes will consist of lecture (some); examples (a lot); discussion (a fair amount); and practice (some).
The last 20 to 30 minutes will be for practice (more) when we have the time and hands-on-keyboards activities (most days).
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Lab
We'll periodically have Lab style class sessions, where we'll complete a hands-on activity related to one of your assignments. Sometimes we will have a guest on days like this who will show us something interesting that we can put into practice.
Catch Up days
I've built several catch up days into the schedule. I'll use these to reinforce things that haven't 'clicked' for you yet, get hands-on with another activity, or do something fun such as have a guest speaker if we're ahead of schedule.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Evaluation
This class has no exams, but there are 6 major tasks that will correspond to one of the major objectives in the course, including a final presentation. All of the tasks are interconnected, so it is important to complete the tasks in succession by the due dates listed in the chart below.
No Credit Will Be Given For Unexcused Late Work. It's very simple: if you think you won't be able to turn in your work on time, contact me ASAP. If you're getting close to the deadline, finish up and send what you have before the deadline. This is different than most undergraduate courses, but with only 6 assignments neither you or I have time for late work. I'm putting a note out here so you notice this no credit for late work policy. Please plan ahead so your work is done on time and contact me early if you're running late on an assignment. Also, feel free to turn in work ahead of time.
Assignment Tasks
See this page for a list of assignments and links to individual assignment instructions. Assignment descriptions will be up typically one week before the due date.
Assignment Breakdown
Table 1: List of required course tasks
| Task | Components | % | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basics | Cloud9, GitHub setup | 15 | Aug 29 |
| Web | Site published on GitHub Pages | 15 | Oct 5 |
| Text | Create formatted text documents | 15 | Oct 27 |
| Data | Create and format spreadsheets using scripts | 5 | Nov 6 |
| Database | Create and script a database | 15 | Nov 17 |
| Present | Create and record a presentation | 15 | Dec 5 |
| Participation | Come to class; Speak up; Share resources | 10 | N/A |
| Community | Get involved & learn something | 10 | Oct 19, Dec 7 |
Due Dates
Each task is due by the end of the day (midnight) on the date specified. It would be a good idea to complete assignments before that deadline so that you can get a jump on the next section. Also, early is on time, on time is on time, but late without prior approval is a 0. So why not be early?
Submitting Assignments
All of your assignments will be submitted using GitHub, as this is where you will store your course materials and personal website. Learning how to use this system is built into the first assignment. Particular requirements and instructions for assignments and submission will be discussed in class and included in the lecture notes.
A snapshot of your work will be automatically collected at midnight on the assignment due date. You do not have to submit anything manually. You just have to make sure that your assignment is ready and pushed to a repository in your GitHub account. Given this, it is important to pay attention to how I have instructed you to name your repositories in the assignment text. If the name is incorrect, the assignment will not be collected on time and I will deduct a letter grade from the assignment.
Information about individual assignments is listed here.
Participation PACT
'Participation' in this class is an umbrella term for these four characteristics:
- Preparation
- Attendance
- Communication
- Timeliness
When you, I, and your classmates do each of these things together we set the stage for an awesome experience for everyone! These are also key professional and academic skills that
Community engagement
We don't learn in a vacuum! There're many awesome tech communities and evens, on UNC's campus and beyond. My goal is to help expose you to these communities in the hope that they'll deepen your learning, expand your horizons, and encourage you to connect with others about technology beyond the end of the semester.
For this part of your grade, you will attend two community events over the course of the semester.
At least one should be a technology tutorial or workshop. The other can be a second tech
workshop OR a technology, information, or related meetup or campus organization. After
completing these, you'll submit a short writeup evaluating the experience.
You must complete at least one of these before Fall Break Starts on October 19th. The second is due by the last day of class.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Absence will affect your grade in the class. There is no way to make up for this.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Grading
Table 2: Course grades
Explanation of UNC grading systems: http://registrar.unc.edu/academic-services/grades/explanation-of-grading-system/.
| Percentage | Grade UG | Grade G | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| >95 | A | H | Highest level mastery of course content |
| 92-94 | A- | H | |
| 87-91 | B+ | P | |
| 83-86 | B | P | Totally acceptable performance |
| 80-82 | B- | P | |
| 77-79 | C+ | P | |
| 73-76 | C | P | |
| 70-72 | C- | L | Marginal performance in course requirements |
| 67-69 | D+ | L | |
| 60-66 | D | L | |
| <60 | F | F | For whatever reasons, an unacceptable performance |
Grades and Progress
We will use the standard UNC grading scale for this course. Assignment tasks are rubricated and points will be assigned by the instructor after the completion of each task. Rubrics are not published, but are based on the assignment descriptions.
Grades will be made available on a rolling basis.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies
Course Policies
What it means to us
Instructors and students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill adhere to the Code of Student Conduct. Accordingly, you all should recognize that most software applications available in the computer lab are copyrighted and cannot be copied. We will primarily use open source software for this course, which does allow for copying and modification. It is important to know the difference and heed the terms of software licences.
We can learn much from each other and we will do that. I expect each of you to help each other. We'll discuss what we expect in terms of cooperative, collaborative, shared work and the honor code.
Honor Code
It shall be the responsibility of every student at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to obey and support the enforcement of the Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, or stealing when these actions involve academic processes or University, student or academic personnel acting in an official capacity.
Campus Code
It shall be the further responsibility of every student to abide by the philosophy of the code; namely, to conduct oneself so as not to impair significantly the welfare or the educational opportunities of others in the University community.
Instructor Responsibilities
I have a role to play as well, and I will fulfill these responsibilities.
The system rests on several central tenets:
The university community, including faculty and students, share a commitment to the pursuit of truth, and the dissemination of knowledge to succeeding generations of citizens devoted to the high ideals of personal honor and respect for the rights of others.
These goals can only be achieved in a setting in which intellectual honesty and personal integrity are highly valued; other individuals are trusted, respected, and fairly treated; and the responsibility for articulating and maintaining high standards is widely shared.
Both students and faculty must play active roles in fostering a culture in which honor is prized and acting to remedy violations of community norms relating to academic misconduct, injuries to members of the University community, and conduct that adversely affect University operations and resources.
The principles of academic honesty, integrity, and responsible citizenship govern the performance of all academic work and student conduct at the University as they have during the long life of this institution.
Your acceptance of enrollment in the University presupposes a commitment to the principles embodied in the Code of Student Conduct and a respect for the most significant Carolina tradition.
Your reward is in the practice of these principles.
Your participation in this course comes with the expectation that your work will be completed in full observance of the Honor Code.
You are encouraged to work together with your fellow students and to share knowledge and learning.
However, academic dishonesty in any form is unacceptable, because any breach in academic integrity, however small, strikes destructively at the University's life and work.
Diversity and Inclusion
In support of the University's diversity goals and the mission of the School of Information and Library Science, SILS embraces diversity as an ethical and societal value.
We broadly define diversity to include race, gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, social class, age, sexual orientation and physical and learning ability.
As an academic community committed to preparing our graduates to be leaders in an increasingly multicultural and global society we strive to:
- Ensure inclusive leadership, policies and practices;
- Integrate diversity into the curriculum and research;
- Foster a mutually respectful intellectual environment in which diverse opinions are valued;
- Recruit traditionally underrepresented groups of students, faculty and staff; and
- Participate in outreach to underserved groups in the State.
The statement represents a commitment of resources to the development and maintenance of an academic environment that is open, representative, reflective and committed to the concepts of equity and fairness.
Remember, on occasion you may have felt yourself to be a member of a minority group, picked on by a majority group. Here at school, you may find those roles reversed. Do not fall prey to the temptation to use your new majority sensibility to get back at those who may have picked on you in the past, when you were in a minority group.
People are complex, intersectional beings. Our identities are fluid and performative. It is incumbent upon each of us to remember that, particularly if we come from a place of privilege.
Treating others as you would have them treat you is always a good rule to follow.
About > Readings > Lectures > Lab > Evaluation > Grading > Policies