Course Description

This is the iSchool's introductory course, which has been designed to give students a    fundamental understanding of interdisciplinary work that links Information, Technology, and Society.

This is a survey course that gives you a broad overview of the history of technological innovations that have shaped the current Information Age, and theories on the socio-economic and cultural implications that this age has brought to our society. Topics of the  course include: the history of salient technological innovations, the emergence of the Internet and the computer game industry, general concepts of machine learning, big data, and societal challenges for the present-future such as cybersecurity, the digital divide,      among others.

Through our exploration of these topics, you will have a better understanding of what defines the so-called Information Age, how its innovations have come to be, and what their impact has been and might be in the future.

Course Prerequisites or Co-requisites

None

Course Format and Teaching Methods

This is a five-week (Summer I) online course. A lot of material needs to be covered in a condensed schedule. The course is structured in weekly thematic units. Each unit contains  a set of readings, some short lectures, a quiz, and a deliverable (Unit Project) due every     Sunday. Although this is an asynchronous course, I expect you to do the proposed readings daily to meet the deadlines and gain the foundations you require to work on your projects.

The course will follow a typical online format, one that relies on short and pre-recorded lectures, readings, audiovisual material, student projects, and four quizzes (a quiz for every unit that covers all the materials studied during that unit)

Course- Level Objectives

During this course, students will:

1. Get an overview of what the Information Age entails and the broader areas they can dive into across their undergrad/grad studies at the iSchool.

2.  Define the Information Age along with the major disruptions it has brought to Modern Society’s lifestyle.

3. Study the theories of new media, communication, and culture that help to make sense of the Information Age

4.  Explain how major industries changed with the rise of machine learning, big data, computer games and other technologies of the Information Age.

5.  Present one topic of the Information Age addressing a critical perspective on pros and cons it has brought to our society.

Required Texts or Readings

A wide variety of texts exist for this topic area. Required textbooks are available through the library UA library:

•    Gertner, Jon. The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation. Penguin, 2012 – Unit 1.

•    Ryan, J., EBSCOhost, & ProQuest. (2010). A history of the Internet and the digital future. London: Reaktion Books. (CHAPTERS 1-9)

Further readings and videos will be provided either on D2L or through the UA library. Most  of the time, the link to the materials will be included in the course announcements. If, for   some reason, they do not work, go over to the UA library website and look for the materials there. The UA Library website allows you to read any newspaper articles or books listed      here.

Grading Policies

This is a 1000 points course. Grades will be based on the components listed below:

900-1000 = A “exemplary, far beyond reqs/expectations”

800-899 = B “exceeds requirements/expectations”

700-799 = C “meets requirements/expectations”

600-699 = D “falls short of requirements/expectations”

599 or below = E “repeat of course needed”

Professional Quality of Work

Students are encouraged to share intellectual views and discuss freely the principles and   applications of course materials. However, graded work/exercises must be the product of   independent effort unless otherwise instructed. You are expected to produce high-quality   documents that are appropriate for the specific assignment. Documents should be carefully proofread and formatted with a concern for readability and polish. Images should be high- resolution and links to outside materials (videos, audio, etc.) should be carefully chosen    and well-integrated into the project demonstrating full understanding of the materials you have used.

Use eitherAPA or MLAcitation style for your assignments to avoid plagiarism issues. Any form of plagiarism will result in a grade of E (Failure) for the course. Submitting an item of academic work that has previously been submitted without fair citation of the         original work or authorization by the faculty member supervising the work is prohibited by the Code of Academic Integrity. See this link for a flowchart of the Code of Academic         Integrity Process:http://deanofstudents.arizona.edu/academic-integrity/faculty/code-

academic-integrity-process-flowchart

Late and Incomplete Work

If a serious and unavoidable problem arises and you cannot complete the assigned work on time, you should contact me prior to the deadline to determine whether or not an extension for the work will or will not be granted. An extension of a deadline is a privilege, not a        right, and therefore is based upon my judgment of what is reasonable and fair. Computer problems are not an acceptable excuse for a late assignment, so remember to back-up your work multiple times. Late work without arrangements made in advance    will result in a 5% deduction per day late.

A course grade of an “I” for Incomplete will only be assigned in extreme cases and where a majority of the work for the course has already been completed. Requests for incomplete   (I) or withdrawal (W) must be made in accordance with University policies, which are         available at https://catalog.arizona.edu/policy/grades-and-grading-system#incomplete and http://catalog.arizona.edu/policy/grades-and-grading-system#Withdrawal respectively.

Course Communications

The official course website will be D2L. All course related materials and announcements will be shared through D2L or official UA @arizona.edu email addresses.

The official channel of communication for this course is the UA official email address [email protected]. Emails sent from different domains like personal email  addresses (e.g., @gmail, @yahoo, among others) will not be answered.

Netiquette

Netiquette is an abbreviation for "internet etiquette" – more simply put, guidelines for communicating online to ensure meaningful and polite exchanges. Please follow the   standards listed below for every interaction you have in the course:

1. Behavior. Maintain the same standard of behavior and ethics that you would follow in a face-to-face context.

2. Tone. Treat others with respect. Be mindful of your tone and how that is conveyed   in your writing style. DO NOT USE ALL CAPS. It is considered shouting and not         appropriate in a classroom. Avoid sarcasm and irony as it is easily misinterpreted in  an online environment. If you send an e-mail to either me or your colleagues,          professional standards of format, tone, and professionalism apply. Failure to comply with these standards can and will result in a reduction to your grade in the class.

3. Clarity and Content. Be succinct. Write, reread, and then post. Carefully consider what you have written. Does it make sense? Does it add to the conversation? Is it unnecessarily confrontational or offensive?

4. Contribute. Online learning is not passive. It is expected that you will share your knowledge and insight. Be an active contributor to the learning community.

5. Be forgiving. If someone makes a mistake or does something inappropriate,   address it privately and politely. You can always let the instructor know and ask them to address it as well.

Please note: ALL University of Arizona students have agreed to abide by the standards for behavior set forth by the Arizona Board of Regents. TheStudent Code of Conductis in place to create a safe, healthy and responsible environment that allows UA students, faculty, and staff to be successful in their daily endeavors and long term goals. Sanctions may be imposed for acts of misconduct that occur on university property or at any university-sponsored activity (including the online environment). As further prescribed in these rules, off-campus conduct may also be subject to discipline.

UA Nondiscrimination and Anti-harassment Policy

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an environment free of                discrimination; see http://policy.arizona.edu/human-resources/nondiscrimination-and-anti-

harassment-policy.

Everyone is encouraged to express well-formed opinions and their reasons for those          opinions. We also want to create a tolerant and open environment where such opinions can be expressed without resorting to bullying or discrimination of others.

Threatening Behavior Policy

The University of Arizona’s Threatening Behavior by Students Policy prohibits threats of physical harm to any member of the University community, including to oneself. See http://policy.arizona.edu/education-and-student-affairs/threatening-behavior-students.

Accessibility and Accommodations

If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. You are also welcome to contact the Disability Resource Center (520-621-3268) to establish reasonable accommodations. For additional information on the Disability

Resource Center and reasonable accommodations, please visit

http://drc.arizona.edu.

Subject to Change Statement

Information contained in the course syllabus, other than the grade and absence policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Scheduled Topics/Activities

The course is divided into 4 units: The Information Age in context; Internet, big data, and machine learning; the Computer Game Revolution; and challenges of the Information Age. For each unit you will complete a project to reflect on the contents cover over that unit. In order to help you navigate your projects, there are four pre-assignment submissions that  you will turn in every Wednesday.

There are four reading quizzes (one per unit). Quizzes are expected to be completed at the end of every week once you have read and watched all the materials listed for that week.  Although quizzes will remain open until July 3rd, 2023, for you to complete them at your convenience, I strongly recommend you take them at the end of every module to keep on track with course assignments.