Seminar on Information Communication Policy Issues
LIS 694 Course Syllabus
Summer 2010

Course Description

Information is increasingly disseminated through telecommunication networks. New technologies such as the Internet and cellular telephones can bring information into and out of regions that in the past were largely cut off from the outside world. Thus our telecommunication networks have the potential to democratize information.

However, there are a number of issues that attend these new technologies. For example, the same technologies that facilitate information sharing can be used to block information sharing or to spread disinformation. If access to information is to be equalized, the world must address not only the technical issues but also the issue of financing the information-sharing network. How will people in remote areas or with low incomes be able to access information in the digital environment? In addition, there have been efforts by corporate entities to prioritize Internet traffic based on corporate ability to pay. There have also been numerous news stories about government agencies intercepting and viewing or listening to telcommunications—whether personal conversations, file sharing, or accessing Websites.

This course will examine some of the issues related to information dissemination and access via telecommunication networks. In order to discuss these issues, we will look at the technological infrastructure as well as the political power structures behind the major telecommunication networks. We will look at the roles of entities such as the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in the design and management of global telecommunication networks. We will talk about the potentials and the conundrums these new (and some not so new) technologies pose in a world of unevenly distributed resources and competing ideologies.

Prerequisite

There is no prerequisite for this course.

American Library Association Core Competencies

Program Learning Objectives

Course Learning Objectives

This course is designed to promote knowledge of key issues pertaining to the dissemination of information through telecommunication technologies. Through readings, class presentations, projects, and discussions the student develops a deeper understanding of how information is delivered through the international telecommunication network—especially the Internet, of regulation of the systems that make up that network, of attempts to control the information that is allowed to traverse that network, of privacy concerns that have arisen in the digital environment, of the inequities of digitized information delivery, and of efforts to address those inequities.

Course & Teaching Philosophy

My hope is that this course will help prepare students to be "good citizens" not only in the local sense but in the global sense. This means that a student must not only be equipped with knowledge of "what is" but also be prepared to make thoughtful decisions in a future full of unknowns. Thus each student is urged to probe deeper into how "what is" has come about and how things can be changed for the better. Each student is urged to respectfully share the understanding gained from that probing with colleagues in the classroom and beyond. As instructor for the course, I consider myself to be a facilitator as we all reach for greater understanding together.

Teaching Methods

Ideas will be explored through class discussions. Technical expertise will be developed and demonstrated through exercises and the creation of instructional Web pages. Students will do research not only in scholarly publications but also in materials disseminated through the Internet by governmental bodies and nongovernmental organizations, then present the findings of this research to their colleagues as well as in written reports. Groups of students will lead panel discussions on key questions facing the world of information communication today.

Requirements

• Readings
  

  Selected readings from books and articles will be assigned. Some of the readings will be accessed via the World Wide Web. Materials that are designated as e reserve can be accessed via the Hawaii Voyager Library Catalog Web page. (Select Course Reserves, select the instructor's name (Bair-Mundy), then select LIS 694, then hit the Search button.)

  Two of the books we will draw heavily upon are:

  Castells, Manuel. 2010. The rise of the network society, 2nd ed. Chichester, West Sussex ; Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

  Cortada, James W. 2002. Making the information society: experience, consequences, and possibilities. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

  We will also be drawing from:

  Goleniewski, Lillian. 2007. Telecommunications essentials. 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison-Wesley.

  All are available from Amazon.com.

• Assignments
  
• Introduce Yourself via Laulima
• What Will Your Workday and Workplace Be Like Five Years from Now? (Posting to Laulima)
• Technical Exercise: Interacting with a Domain Name Server
• Experiment: Getting a Web Page Indexed by an Internet Search Engine
• Brief Report: Comparing the Digital Divides in Two Countries
• Brief Report: Digital Censorship in the Information Age (Country Report)
• Group Assignment: Discussion Panel
• Create an Instructional Website and Post Constructive Comments Regarding Two Instructional Web Pages on Laulima
• Short Essay - The Information Center of the Future
• Point System

Introduce Yourself via Laulima	5 points
What Will Your Workday and Workplace Be Like Five Years from Now? (Posting to Laulima)	5 points
Technical Exercise: Interacting with a Domain Name Server	5 points
Experiment: Getting a Web Page Indexed by an Internet Search Engine	20 points
Brief Report: Comparing the Digital Divides in Two Countries	8 points
Brief Report: Digital Censorship in the Information Age (Country Report)	8 points
Group Assignment: Discussion Panel	16 points
Create an Instructional Website and Post Constructive Comments Regarding Two Instructional Web Pages on Laulima	18 points
Short Essay - The Information Center of the Future	5 points
Class Participation	10 points
Total	100 points




Note:
This is a class where everyone is expected to share their ideas during class discussions. There are two things to remember:

First, you cannot participate in the discussions if you are not present in class. Therefore I take roll at the beginning of each class period. If you cannot attend a particular class due to medical reasons, e-mail me (ahead of time if possible) to let me know. Unexcused absences will result in a lowering of your grade, as will frequently arriving late to class. Arriving late disturbs the other students and deprives you of the announcements made and materials presented at the beginning of the class.

Second, it is important to remember that everyone has a right to their opinion and to express that opinion. A variety of perspectives enriches the class experience for us all. Lively discourse is encouraged but comments should always reflect a respectful attitude toward one's colleagues.



• Grading scale
  

  99-100 (outstanding work) = A+	92-98 = A	90-91 = A-
  89 = B+	82-88 = B	80-81 = B-
  79 = C+	72-78 = C	70-71 = C-
  69 = D+	62-68 = D	60-61 = D-

Technology Requirements

This course requires use of an Internet-connected computer with a standard Web browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Powerpoint, Adobe Acrobat reader (available free of charge from http://www.adobe.com), and a word processor. Students will be required to view Powerpoint presentations, complete exercises and written assignments, participate in online discussions, create a World Wide Web portal, view pdf documents, and access Internet sites. Internet-connected PCs and Macs are available in UH computer labs but you must supply your own paper to print. In addition, most medium- and large-sized public and academic libraries provide access to the Web for their patrons.

Each student will be required to use SSH software. Instructions for downloading and using this encryption program will be given during the course.

You will also be required to obtain and use a UHUNIX e-mail account (free to UH students). Information about obtaining a UHUNIX account is available at the UH website.

If you are a new student you are urged to consult the UH Web page entitled "Getting Started with Information Technology at the University of Hawaii" to obtain information about your UH username, connecting to UH, accessing your e-mail, and training resources offered through the University of Hawai`i. Point your browser to: http://www.hawaii.edu/infotech/newusers.html.

Professional Expectations

LIS students at the University of Hawai`i are required to observe rigorous standards regarding intellectual and personal honesty. Please review these standards, available online at:

http://www.hawaii.edu/lis/students.php?page=profexp

Documentation (Citations)

In the scholarly world we acknowledge the fact that our contributions to knowledge build upon the contributions of others. We do this by citing the works from which we have drawn ideas, data, or text. In this class citations are required.

You may use the author-date method (preferred), footnotes, or endnotes but you must cite and you must do so in a consistent manner.

If you use the wording of another author (even if the author is anonymous) you must either put the text between quotation marks or indent and single-space the material. The quoted text must be followed immediately by the appropriate citation.

Two style manuals frequently used in the discipline of Library and Information Science are Turabian and The Chicago Manual of Style:

Tentative Course Schedule (subject to change)

If you need reasonable accommodations because of the impact of a disability, please:

1. contact the Kokua Program by telephone (V/T) at 956-7511 or 956-7612 or in person at the Queen Lili`uokalani Center for Student Services building, room 013;
2. speak with me privately to discuss your specific needs. I will be happy to work with you and the KOKUA Program to meet your access needs related to your documented disability.

Information about the Kokua Program is available online at: http://www.hawaii.edu/kokua/.