Syllabus: INFO-I 101 Introduction to Informatics

DRAFT, Version 0.4, 2014 Feb 11¹

Course Description

I101 Introduction to Informatics (4 cr.) Emphasis on topics in human-computer interaction and human factors, collaborative technologies, group problem solving, ethics, privacy, and ownership of information and information sources, information representation and the information life cycle, the transformation of data to information, and futuristic thinking. Prerequisite: Computer literacy.

Comments

Prerequisite: “Computer literacy” is quite vague. I hope that students have (at least) basic skills in basic word processing, web search, operating systems (e.g., saving files, organizing them in folders, and finding them again). Students lacking these abilities may need to work a bit harder in the beginning; I will work with you if needed.

Learning Objectives

These learning outcomes fall under the campus learning outcomes of—

• “1. Communicate clearly and effectively in written and oral forms.”
• “2. Access, use, and critically evaluate a variety of relevant information sources.”
• “3. Apply principles of inquiry to define and analyze complex problems through reasoning and discovery.”
• “4. Demonstrate the ability to relate within a multicultural and digitally connected world.”

Course Learning Objectives

After completing this course, a successful student will be able to:

1. Define the field of informatics and describe several of its areas of application.
2. Develop problem solving strategies and skills that can be applied to information and to problems in other areas.
3. Analyze numerical data using spreadsheets.
4. Design, develop, and use a database.
5. Describe digital representations of information; interpret common digital representations.
6. Describe how computers work internally.
7. Use appropriate standards of ethics and etiquette for information and information systems.
8. Discuss and critically evaluate legal and social issues involving information technology.
9. Design and code basic HTML (web) pages.
10. Design, code, debug, and interpret simple programs using sequences of instructions, selection and iteration control structures.
11. Describe the potentials and limits of computation.

Learning Resources

Textbook

(Required) Snyder, Lawrence. Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilities, 5th ed. Addison-Wesley (Pearson). ISBN: 9780132828932.

Web Resources

Additional resources may be provided here:

• Oncourse: https://oncourse.iu.edu/
• I101 public web site: http://mypage.iu.edu/~gdweber/info/i101/ (not set up yet)

Software

• Web browser
• Text editor
• Typical “office” software (word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, database)—e.g., Microsoft Office, LibreOffice or OpenOffice.org, Google Drive/Docs/Apps.
• JavaScript

Course Requirements

1. Students will research two topics and write a short paper (3–5 pages) and make a brief presentation (5–10 minutes) on each. This will demonstrate their ability to find information sources, use word processing software and presentation software (e.g., Powerpoint).

   • The first topic will be an application area of informatics (e.g., bioinformatics, business informatics, chemical informatics, music informatics).
   • The second will be a social, ethical, or legal issue involving informatics (e.g., privacy and surveillance, intellectual property rights in information and software). The presentation may take the form of a debate if circumstances warrant.

   The topic should be approved by the instructor before the student begins substantial work on it.

2. Lab and discussion activities. We will use a variety of software (spreadsheets, databases, etc.) Some activities will involve teamwork and problem solving.

3. Two or three exams.

See Table 1 and Table 2 for how these requirements determine the course grade.

Policies

University and Campus Policies

• Academic honesty: Students are expected to turn in their own work. See the Academic Misconduct section of the Indiana University Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct.
  • IU East Procedures for the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (Flash + PDF)

• Attendance. IU requires students to attend class. Students who fail the course due to non-attendance will receive a grade of FN or FNN; these grades can result in termination and reversal (paying back) of financial aid.

• Withdrawal. Withdrawing from a course can be done in One Start through the last date to withdraw with an automatic W, March 14. After that date, a paper form is required, and the instructor assigns a grade of W, if the student was passing at the time of withdrawal, or WF, if not.

• Disabilities: see the Student Support Services site including policy and procedure manual.

• Religious Observances Policy (Flash + PDF)

• Athletics: see Policy for the Approved Absence of Students Participating in Athletic Events (Flash + PDF)
  • Student Athlete/Instructor Agreement Form (Flash + PDF)

Course Policies

• Attendance is required, except for excused absences. Lack of attendance will impair your grade. For online courses, attendance means at least weekly visits to the Oncourse site and participating in the online activities.

• Arrive on time to avoid disrupting the class.

• Dress decently. Visible buttock cleavage is not acceptable.

• Food and drink are not permitted in the computer lab.

• Do not print during lecture, class discussion, or other activities which would be disrupted by the noise of the printer.

• Exams. Makeup exams are permitted for excused absences—which should be arranged before the exam.

• Late homework (labs, etc.) may or may not be accepted for partial credit at the discretion of the instructor. It is always preferable to ask ahead of time for an extension of the due date.

• Course materials. Materials posted in Oncourse and in the public web site, including lecture notes, assignments, videos, are copyrighted by the instructor. They are provided for the students’ personal use and may not be redistributed without permission.

Instructor

Name: Gregory D. Weber (short “e” but only one “b” in the last name).

Expected office hours in HY 255-T for spring, 2014:

• Monday and Wednesday, 12:30–1:30, 3:30–4:30, and by appointment.
• Friday, 3:30–4:30 and by appointment

Virtual office meetings by appointment or as announced.

Office hours are subject to change, so please check my schedule before visiting.

Communication preferences:

• Please use Oncourse Forums for course-related questions that may be asked in public, if there is even a small chance that another student will be interested in the matter.
• Please use Oncourse Messages, telephone, or office visit for questions that may not be asked in public (for example, questions that would reveal too much of your code).
• Please use email, telephone, or office visits for questions not related to the course. For example, do not ask for an advising appointment through Oncourse Messages.

See my contact information for details.

My personal home page has information about my research interests and other courses that I teach.

Schedule

Dates of assignments will be announced.

A Google Calendar is provided in Oncourse, beneath the “Syllabus” tool. This calendar will have a summary of each week’s topics, and will be updated with exam, quiz, and assignment due dates. You can also access the calendar through these links:

• HTML (for web browser)
• XML (Atom feed)
• iCalendar (for calendar applications)

See About the ‘Calendar Address’ for explanations of these three options.