Graduate
758-01 Community Informatics (3
credit hours)
Fall 2007, Saturday and Sunday, 10/20-21;
10/27-28; 11/10-11 9-5:30
Main Campus, Lewis Hall, Room 206
Course website at http://blackboard.dom.edu
Instructor
Kate Hall, MLIS, Instructor
Office Hours: One
hour before every class; other times by phone, e-mail, or appointment
Office Telephone: 847.720.3255
Home Telephone: 708.860.8217
Course
Description
Community informatics is the
study of how local communities use technology. This course is aimed at future
librarians and other professionals who will work in and serve communities and
need to understand their dynamics and how they are using new technologies.
Public access computer labs, community wireless projects, and other grassroots
use of information technology are the practical projects we will examine, using
concepts such as social networks and social capital, among others. Communities
in metropolitan Chicago will be the focus of research projects.
Learning
Objectives
1.
To get an introduction to
community informatics as it is practiced today.
2.
To become familiar with the basic
concepts and findings of community informatics
research.
3.
To evaluate practical uses of
community informatics.
4.
To consider what lessons can be
applied to the library world and look at how community informatics is being implemented in libraries.
Course
Readings
All students are expected to read the following
readings. Copies will be provided online
via blackboard. Students are responsible
for making copies of those readings.
Anderson, Janna Quitney and Lee Rainey. “The Future of the Internet II.” PEW Internet and American Life Project.
September 2006. http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Future_of_Internet_2006.pdf READ FOR SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 11
Armstrong, Ann.
“Rural Town’s computer center bridges divide.” American City and County. December 2000. For link to article, see
Blackboard. READ FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 27
Averweg, Udo.
“Towards a Code of Cyberethics.” Journal
of Community Informatics. 2006. http://www.ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/280/232 READ FOR SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 21
Baird, Robert
M, Reagan Mays Ramsower and Stuart
E Rosenbaum. “CHAPTER TO BE ADDED HERE” Cyberethics:
Social and Moral Issues in the Computer Age. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books,
2000. For link to book excerpt, see Blackboard.
READ FOR SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 21
Blumenstyk, Goldie. “An experiment
in ‘virtual community’ takes shape in Blacksburg, Va.” Chronicle of Higher
Education. January 1997. For link to article, see Blackboard. READ FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 27
Charnigo, Lauris and Paula Barnett-Ellis. “Checking Out Facebook.com: The Impact of a
Digital Trend on Academic
Libraries.” Information Technology and Libraries.
March 2007. For
link to article, see Blackboard.
READ
FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gurstein, Michael. “Effective Use: A
community informatics strategy beyond the Digital Divide.”
First Monday. 2 October 2003. http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue8_12/gurstein/ READ FOR SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 21
Maness, Jack M.
“Library 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and Its Implications for Libraries.” Webology. June
2006. http://www.webology.ir/2006/v3n2/a25.html READ FOR SATURDAY, NOVEMBER
10
Neff, Dianah.
“Local Wireless Networks-A Prerequisite for The Future.” Public
Management. March 2007. For
link to article, see Blackboard. READ FOR SUNDAY,
OCTOBER 28
Nowlin, Terrence. “Plugging into WIRELESS.” Parks
and Recreation. November 2006. For
link to article, see
Blackboard. READ FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
O’Neil, Dara.
“Assessing community informatics: A review of methodological approaches
for evaluating community networks and
community technology centers.” Internet
Research. 2002. For link to article, see
Blackboard. READ FOR SATURDAY OCTOBER 27.
O’Shea, Dan.
“There’s something in the air: Wi-Fi networks signal new opportunities
for cities.” American
City and County. March 2005. For link to book excerpt,
see Blackboard. READ FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
Pitkin, Bill.
“Community Informatics: Hope or Hype?”
Presented at the 34th Hawaii International
Conference on System Science. 2001. http://csdl2.computer.org/comp/proceedings/hicss/2001/0981/08/09818005.pdf
READ FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
Stoecker, Randy.
“Is Community Informatics good for communities? Questions confronting an emerging field.” Journal
of Community Informatics. 2005. http://www.ci- journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/183/129 READ FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
Additional
Resources
Students may use the following as possible sources
to select their three additional readings.
Journal of Community Informatics http://ci-journal.net
First Monday http://www.firstmonday.org/
New Media and Society http://newmediaandsociety.com/
Community Technology Review http://www.comtechreview.org/
Information, Communication, Society
Assignments
Class Participation (20% of course
grade): This
includes attendance, participating in class discussion, asking pertinent
questions, and sharing information.
Evidence of completion of the readings is taken into account.
Group Presentations (30%): There will be three group
presentations, one per week, which will each account for 10% of your total
grade. The scope and nature of the presentations will be discussed on
the first day of class.
Site Visit (20%): Students will visit a
community informatics site. Based on a
set of criteria which will be handed out in class, students will be asked to
review and analyze the site and provide an analysis.
Critical Reviews (15%): Students will choose 3
readings from a book or journal on community informatics. They will give a review of the work and argue
for or against the proposals laid out in the article. A review will be due every Sunday.
Blackboard Discussion Participation
(15%): Each
week a question will be posted on Blackboard.
Students are expected to respond with their views and ideas about the
questions and to participate in any discussions that arise from those
questions.
Assessment
Academic
Honesty and Integrity
"All
students of the GSLIS are expected to observe high standards of academic
honesty and integrity. Any student whose conduct violates such standards may be
subject to disciplinary action as determined by due process." (GSLIS
Bulletin, p. 48)
Plagiarism is unethical and unprofessional and will result in
project failure. Each student is responsible for understanding what
plagiarism is and how to avoid it. See Purdue University's
"Avoiding Plagiarism," http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html if you are
unsure about what is and what is not acceptable behavior when using other
people's words and ideas.
Attendance:
Students are expected to
attend each class. Absences must be
discussed with instructor unless there is an emergency. Because this is a condensed class, attendance
is critical and, if late, points for participation will be docked.
Grading
A (95-100 points); A- (90 to 94 points); B+ (85-89 points); B
(80-84 points); B- (77-79); C+ (74-76); C (70-74); C-
(65-69); F (64 and below).
A=Outstanding
achievement. Student performance
demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level of
originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations; nearly
flawless work.
A-=Excellent
achievement. Student performance demonstrates
thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by
completing all requirements in a superior manner.
B+= Good
solid work. Student performance
demonstrates strong comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations
on all tasks as defined in the course syllabus.
B= Satisfactory acceptable work.
Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates
understanding of the course materials and performs at an acceptable level.
B-=Marginal work. Student
performance demonstrates incomplete, substandard understanding of course materials,
or absence of required work; indicates danger of falling below acceptable
grading standard.
C+=Unsatisfactory
work. Student performance demonstrates
unsatisfactory understanding of course materials and inability to meet course
requirements.
C=Unacceptable
work. Student performance
demonstrates incomplete and inadequate understanding of course materials.
C-=Poor work.
F=Failing grade.
Course
Calendar
Saturday,
October 20- What is Community
Informatics?
READINGS
Pitkin and Stoecker
DUE
Blackboard Participation for first question
Sunday,
October 21- Cyberethics and
Information Literacy
READINGS
Averweg, Baird, and Gurstein
DUE
1st Critical Review
Saturday,
October 27-Community Technology
Centers & Community Networks
READINGS
Neff, Nowlin, O’Shea
DUE
Blackboard Participation for next question
Sunday,
October 28-Wireless Networks and
Social Networking
READINGS
Armstrong, Blumenstyk, and O’Neil
DUE
2nd Critical Review
Saturday,
November 10-Libraries and Community
Informatics
READINGS
Charnigo and Maness
DUE
Blackboard Participation for last two
questions
Sunday,
November 11- Open Source Software and
Future of Community Informatics
READINGS
Anderson
DUE
3rd Critical Review
Site Visit Analysis