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Welcome students, I look forward to working with you this semester, check this site frequently for updates and assignments.

~  JON ~

IST 331

Syllabus

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~ IST 331~

~ Spring 2010~

IST 331 Organization and Design of Information Systems: "User and System Principles (3) Interdisciplinary survey of topics related to the use and usability of information systems."

Translation: The study of how people interact with technology, and how to design technology to better meet the user's needs.

  There is A LOT of information we have to cover in just over the next 15 weeks, and I won't have time to teach my lessons twice, so I need you to attend ALL of my class's... I have a strict attendance policy which you can review in your syllabus. If you miss more than 3 classes your grade will be negatively affected... Tardiness and absents will not be tolerated.

That being said, I am excited to be teaching this course, This is my first time through this course so please bare with me. I will try to keep this site update so that you have an additional learning resource to guide you along. Please do not fall behind on any of the work in this class as i won't have time to re-lecture or catch you up on content you may have missed.

This is a VERY broad course that covers a lot of topics beyond traditional IST courses. There will be several psychological theories discussed, communication principles, instructional design models along with alot of other nontraditional IST course areas. The main source I have been using for this course is a book that is in development called "The ABC's of Humans: Building Models of Users in Designer's Heads" ... This book reads more like a doctorial thesis then is does a practical reference book for 2nd and 3rd year IST students. I will do my best to translate its concepts and theories into practical useable concepts for you to be able to apply throughout and at the end of this course.

With that being said, This is not going to be an "easy A" or a simple IST course. There is a lot of cognitive thinking in this course and practical application of theoretical material. It is not a fact based and memorization course, where you just have to spew out a bunch of terms and random facts come test time. You will have to do papers and demonstrate and understanding of the concepts within the lectures and projects that will be provided through out the semester.

I'm trying to save some trees, so you can locate the syllabus on this site.

SYLLABUS

Catolog Description

IST 331 Organization and Design of Information Systems: User and System Principles (3)

Not too many years ago, people gained information from watching television news or reading the newspaper. Now, nearly half the population of the United States is connected or planning to connect to the Internet. Recent examples include the release of the "Star Report" which generated a record number of "hits" that almost paralyzed the Internet. IST 331 examines these issues, paying special attention to those problems that are directly impacting the performance and future of this rapidly expanding market.

The course will expose the "positive and negatives" of the current information system. Next, it will factor in the "human elements" of the equation, and finally, IST 331 will help the Information Sciences and Technology major to understand the enormous responsibility of their work and how they can "make a difference." This course will serve as a required course in the Infon-nation, Society, and Public Policy Option of the proposed major in Information Sciences and Technology.

Upon completion of this course, the students will be able to evaluate the current information systems and apply communication principles. They will also recognize problems in design, appreciating the "human factor" as it relates to pedagogy and research. The material in this course lends itself to active learning elements such as writing projects, library and internet research, and collaborative learning. Evaluation will be based on a combination of examinations, written assignments and papers, and collaborative projects. The exact mix of evaluation components will be determined by the individual instructors.

The proposed course has some overlap in content with existing courses in Psychology, English, Instructional Systems, Industrial Engineering, and Management Science and Information Systems. Frequency:

IST 331will be offered every semester at University Park. At every other campus location where the Baccalaureate degree program is offered, the course will be offered 1-2 times annually depending on demand. Enrollment: Student enrollment at University Park will begin at approximately 50-75 in the first year and grow to 200 over a 3-4 year time period. At other locations, enrollment should range from 25-50 annually.