LIBR 500: Foundations of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Goal: The goal of this course is to provide students with the foundations of information technologies and their use in knowledge-based organizations.

Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

• Use FTP to transfer files and directories
• Use e-mail to discuss class issues
• Create a PowerPoint presentation using PowerPoint 2003
• Scan images and edit the resulting files
• Create a World Wide Web presentation using an HTML editor, hand coding or WYSIWYG program
• Create simple pages using hand-coded HTML
• Design and create a relational database using MS Access 2003
• Understand and be able to discuss the course topics listed below

Course Topics:

• Information technology hardware
• Information technology software
• Organizing information: files and databases
• Telecommunications and networks
• Internet and the WWW
• Information technology and organizations
• Data privacy and ethics
• Future of information technology systems

Prerequisites and/or Course Restrictions: Admission to the MLIS program or permission of SLAIS Graduate Advisor.  Limited to graduate students.

Format of the course: Class delivered via the web using Web-CT software. On selected Thursdays half the class will meet in SLAIS Information Technology Lab I from approximately 9:00-10:15 and the other half will meet for their lab 10:30-11:45 -attendance at the labs is optional. There will be required on-campus meetings of the class during the first and last weeks of the term.

Required and Recommended Reading:

• Required readings from selected web sites will be provided from within the online WEB-CT course modules.

• How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office Access 2003, by Virginia Anderson. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, 2003. ISBN: 0072229381.
• How to Do Everything with HTML, by James H. Pence. McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, 2001. ISBN: 0072132736.
• HTML for the World Wide Web with XHTML and CSS: Visual QuickStart Guide, by Elizabeth Castro. 5th Edition Peachpit Press, 2002. ISBN: 0321130073.
• HTML, XHTML, and CSS, Visual QuickStart Guide, by Elizabeth Castro. 6th Edition.  Peachpit Press, 2006. ISBN: 0321430840.

Course Schedule:

Attendance: The Calendar states: “Regular attendance is expected of students in all their classes (including lectures, laboratories, tutorials, seminars, etc.). Students who neglect their academic work and assignments may be excluded from the final examinations. Students who are unavoidably absent because of illness or disability should report to their instructors on return to classes.”

Because this offering of LIBR500 is a web-based version, attendance at on-campus classes (with two exceptions as noted above on the Course Schedule) is not required. Most of this policy therefore does not apply. However, students “who neglect their academic work and assignments” in other ways than by non-attendance will be penalized. For instance, late submissions for assignments or other activities may not be accepted or may be given a failing grade unless there are exceptional circumstances and other arrangements have been made and agreed to in advance.

The University accommodates students with disabilities who have registered with the Disability Resource Centre. The University accommodates students whose religious obligations conflict with attendance, submitting assignments, or completing scheduled tests and examinations. Please let your instructor know in advance, preferably in the first week of class, if you will require any accommodation on these grounds. Students who plan to be absent for varsity athletics, family obligations, or other similar commitments, cannot assume they will be accommodated, and should discuss their commitments with the instructor before the drop date.

Evaluation: Assignments will not be accepted late unless prior arrangements are made with me. Consideration will be given to legitimate emergencies. If an extension is granted, a late penalty may be imposed at my discretion; this will be discussed when you request an extension. All assignments will be awarded letter grades using the evaluative criteria given on the SLAIS web site: http://www.slais.ubc.ca/RESOURCES/slais-marking.htm. If you receive a mark such as A-/B+ you should interpret it as a low A-, likewise a mark of B+/A- should be interpreted as a high B+. [The top mark represents the awarded letter grade, and the bottom mark indicates the relative position of the numerical equivalent in the range for the letter grade.]

Academic Dishonesty : Please review the UBC Calendar “Academic regulations” for the university policy on cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty. Also visit www.arts.ubc.ca and go to the students’ section for useful information on avoiding plagiarism and on correct documentation.

Information Technology Labs: On several Thursdays the term there will be optional lab sessions held in two sections. One section will usually meet from 9:00-10:15 and the other half will meet for their lab 10:30-11:45. Students who wish to participate in a given lab can sign up on the immediately preceding Monday.

Written & Spoken English Requirement: Written and spoken work may receive a lower mark if it is, in the opinion of the instructor, deficient in English.

Additional course information on the official Distance Education & Technology, Continuing Studies web site. If you have questions or concerns or require other information, please contact the course instructor by email mss@interchange.ubc.ca.