Lecture All Monday 1:00 - 1:50 121 Peabody
Section B Wolfe Monday 3:00-3:50; Wednesday 3:00-4:50 Room 21 & SISCCAL
Section C Wolfe Monday 4:00-4:50; Friday 1:00-2:50 Room 21 & SISCCAL
Section D Sherman Tuesday 3:30-4:20; Thursday 3:30-5:20 Room 21 & SISCCAL

Instructors:
Richard Sherman Christopher Wolfe
Office Hours: Office Hours:
Tuesday & Thursday 11:00-12:00 Monday & Wednesday 2:00-3:00
Wednesday 10:00-12:00 Tuesday 10:00-12:00
110D Benton Hall, 529-2407 127 Peabody, 529-5670
Shermarc@MUOhio.edu WolfeCR@MUOhio.edu

WCP 142 - Interdisciplinary Technology

The specific topic of this course may change from semester to semester. However, the general theme of WCP 142, Interdisciplinary Technology, is manifest in the following description approved by Miami's Liberal Education Committee as a foundation course in technology.

This course develops conceptual tools for solving problems with technology and explores roles of technology in social contexts. Proficiency with evaluation of empirical data and application of scientific principles is emphasized by examining technologies that vary from household appliances and automobiles to computers and scientific apparatus, solar panels, electric motors and combustion engines. Technology is also considered as a cultural phenomenon and an agent of social change, and a product of human invention and creativity. Reasoning skills such as those required to diagnose mechanical failures on the basis of evidence, write and debug computer programs, or analyze empirical data with appropriate statistical techniques are practiced. These may include the logic of evidence and assertions and understanding how conclusions may be reasonably drawn from a body of evidence. Guidelines for making inferences are developed from conditional and syllogistic reasoning, probability theory and inferential diagnostic techniques.

The course includes exercises in quantitative intuition -- the subjective sense of ease in dealing with quantitative concepts. Pedagogy includes analyzing arguments about uses of technology, creating visual representations of technological concepts such as blueprints, flowcharts, and wiring diagrams, developing rudimentary inventions such as computer programs, and making public presentations and demonstrations based on collective technology projects, journals and term papers. Students interview engineers and technicians at electric and phone utilities, local radio stations, a sewage treatment plant, a power plant, and a computer center. Investigation of technological phenomena familiar in daily life is encouraged, and students are also asked to reflect on appropriate technologies for addressing global problems such as appropriate alternatives to dependency on fossil fuels. The course encourages ways of thinking that facilitate informed choices and appropriate actions.


Living and Learning on the Net: The Cognitive, Social, and Emotional Impact of the Internet

COURSE SUMMARY:
This course is about the social, psychological, and cultural consequences of "cyberspace" -- the ways that the internet influences the way we learn, think, work, and interact with others. We will take an interdisciplinary approach, blending critical thinking and imagination, theory and practice, reading and hands-on experience. Our specific approach will require an interdisciplinary synthesis of Communications, Education, Psychology, English, and Computer Science. The three core areas of the Western College Program, Social Systems, Natural Systems, and Creativity and Culture, are all represented in this course. Previous knowledge of computers is not assumed. Students will read and discuss papers, explore and evaluate web sites, create on-line identities, and design and create science-oriented hypermedia. The course will also consider some of the social implications of information technologies -- for example, how the Internet influences our social relationships and ways of communicating with others. Students will develop critical tools for evaluating the impact of information technologies on society by reflecting on their own experiences in using the technologies.


Although students develop computer skills, such as searching the Internet for information, and creating World Wide Web (WWW) sites, the primary focus of the course is not skill training. The main objective of this course is to help students find appropriate roles for information technologies in their own lives, and to encourage students to think critically about what may be the most important technological transformation of our historical era.

There are many facets of "Living and Learning on the net." Thus, this course is divided into three modules:

1) Cyberspace, Community, Culture, and Identity
2) Cognition and Computer-Assisted Learning
3) The Dragonfly Web Pages (science-oriented hypermedia for kids).

In the first module we will consider the "hopes and horrors" computer-mediated communication and communities seem to evoke. We will also "surf the net" using tools such as Netscape and Lycos. Here we will work with MUDs and Newsgroups to connect with people around the world, and learn strategies for browsing and searching for specific information items on the WWW.

In the second module we will explore the world of computer-assisted learning. Here we will acquaint ourselves with courseware, and consider the educational potential of the web. We will develop a theoretical foundation for our exploration by studying perspectives in cognitive psychology and courseware design. Articles in The Cyberspace Companion will provide us
with these foundations. Besides reading about courseware, a key characteristic of this course is critically evaluating allegedly educational web sites.

In the final module we will integrate much of what we have learned to create science-oriented educational software for kids in grades 3-6 grade that they can access through the WWW. Here we will create an interactive hypermedia experience based on solid design and learning principles, and incorporating images, sound, and text.


Course Goals
By the end of this course you should:
* Be comfortable working in the Macintosh computing environment
* Be able to efficiently search for information on the Internet
* Be able to participate in discourse communities on-line
* Be able to use groupware to collaborate effectively on-line
* Be able to create your own World Wide Web page
* Have a better understanding of the cognitive, social, and emotional impact of the Internet
* Have a better understanding of Computer-Assisted Learning
* Have a better understanding of non-linear discourse and hypermedia
* Have developed your own ideas about life on the net.

Divisional Commitments
One of the writing assignments in this course will be to create hypermedia; non-linear, reader-directed "texts." This will require students to explicitly think about rhetorical strategies associated with emerging technologies. It will also provide opportunities for students to revise, edit, and share their writing. Concerning quantitative reasoning, this course will address quantitative expression and quantitative intuition, particularly in the Dragonfly module. Evidence and assertions will play a major role in the critical evaluation of web sites. Students will critically examine the effectiveness of courseware and devise ways of collecting and analyzing relevant data.

WCP 142 and the Miami Plan for Liberal Education
WCP 142 shares the goals and objectives of the Miami plan for liberal education, and satisfies Miami's technology requirement. The course promotes critical thinking by providing opportunities to critically apply theory in the process of evaluation, and to critique theory from the perspective of personal experience. The critical evaluation of educational software promotes reasoning and evaluation, and a sophisticated use of language.

We will work at understanding contexts by explicitly examining the contextual web surrounding information technologies, and consider alternatives. The creation and evaluation of educational software would be inadequate without an explicit consideration of the social, cognitive, pedagogical, and affective contexts in which computer-based educational experiences are employed.

Engaging with other learners is central to the success of this course. The course has a seminar format indicating the expectation that we will learn from each other. Sometimes we will work in groups with the aid of "groupware," and explicitly examine group process. With the aid of electronic networks, we will literally engage other learners around the world!

Throughout the course we will be reflecting on our experiences as students, both with computers and in traditional classrooms. We will incorporate what we have learned in this course to develop Dragonfly projects. Thus the final project for this course demands both reflecting and acting.

This course introduces the methodology of technical professionals in the fields of courseware and web design. These methods include applying theory in developing web sites, field testing it on real people, analyzing the data, and revising the product. The evaluation of empirical data, problem representation and solving, and the application of scientific principles are important components of this process. The relationship between technology and society is a key component of this course and the central focus of several readings.


Miscellaneous Expenses
In addition to The Cyberspace Companion you are expected to have several 3.5 inch computer disks to backup your work (this is important!). Software for computer-mediated group projects and about half of the assigned readings are found on the Internet for free!

Academic Misconduct
Please read Part V, Sections 501 - 507 of the Student Handbook. University policies on academic conduct apply to all aspects of this course.

Assignments
Grading for the course will be based on a 1,000 point scale, with letter grades being assigned in the traditional fashion (e.g., 90%+ = A range etc.). The number of points for each assignment is outlined below.

On-Line Search 100
Threaded News Discussion 100
MUD Exercise 100
Note Change
Assessment Criteria 100
On-line Courseware Evaluation 200
Evaluation Groupware Project 100
The Dragonfly Web Pages and Final Exam 300

On-Line Search: Search the WWW, the world's libraries and data bases from the comfort of SISCCAL.

Threaded News Discussion: Participate in and evaluate an online discussion regarding a current event, hosted by WWW news agencies. Develop and apply criteria for evaluating the quality of postings and their broader implications for personal and social action.

MUD Exercise: Create an online persona and play in the MUD. Evaluate the impact on self-identity and social relationships.

On-Line Courseware Evaluation: How do you know if an educational Web site is any good? Your task here is to develop and apply criteria for evaluating educational media. The goal is to develop sophistication in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of educational programs.

Evaluation Groupware Project: What are the positive and negative aspects of computer-mediated collaboration? Engage with others in using groupware to accomplish a task, and evaluate the process and product.

The Dragonfly Web Pages and Final Exam: Each section will create a science-oriented, Internet-accessible multimedia project in the form of a WWW page, in accordance with the goals of Project Dragonfly. On the final exam, each student is expected to establish constructive participation in the Dragonfly project, and demonstrate what they've learned throughout the course.


Absence Policy
Because this is primarily a seminar and laboratory experience, active participation in all aspects of this course is essential. Unexcused absences may result in a lower final grade. Attendance is mandatory for course evaluations (completed during the last meeting of the semester) for all Western classes.



COURSE SCHEDULE
(Note: All readings -- including web sites -- and assignments should be completed prior to the first class meeting of the week. WWW indicates a web page , Bold indicates assignment due, CAPS indicate special events, * indicates assignment given. Additional readings and exercises may be assigned.)

Cyberspace, Community, Culture and Identity

Week of 8/26
Reading: course syllabus and 1) Kling
WWW -- Zen and the Art of the Internet: http://www.iprolink.co.nz/zen-1.0/zen-1.0_toc.html

Week of 9/1
MONDAY 9/1: LABOR DAY (NO CLASS)
TUESDAY 9/2: Mon.-Tues. Switch Day (Mon. classes meet; no Tues. classes)
Reading: 2) Nguyen & Alexander
WWW -- Lycos: http://www.lycos.com/
WWW -- Yahoo: http://www.yahoo.com/
* On-Line Search Exercise Given

Week of 9/8
On-Line Search due
Reading: 3) Sproull & Faraj
WWW -- The Newsroom: http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/news.html
WWW -- Usenet News: http://www.iprolink.co.nz/zen-1.0/zen-1.0_6.html
* Newsgroup Exercise Given

Week of 9/15
Reading: 4) Baym
WWW -- Mudding: Social Phenomena in Text-Based Virtual Realities:
http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/lal/cyberspace/cyberspace_docs/academic/DIAC92.txt
* MUD Exercise Given

Week of 9/22
Threaded News Exercise due
Reading: 5) Turkle
WWW -- The Psychology of Avatars:
http://www1.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psyav.html
WWW -- Self Presentation in WWW homepages:
http://www.ntu.ac.uk/soc/psych/miller/goffman.htm

Week of 9/29
Reading: 6) Orlikowski
WWW -- Basic Support for Cooperative Work Groupware: http://bscw.gmd.de/
* Groupware introduced

Cognition and Computer-Assisted Learning

Week of 10/6
FRIDAY 10/10 Mid-term break (no class).
MUD Exercise due
Reading: 7) Papert
WWW -- Dragonfly Web Pages: http://www.muohio.edu/dragonfly/


Week of 10/13
Reading: 8) Resnick
WWW -- Kinetic City Cyber Club: www.kineticcity.com
Friday 10/17 5:00 Evaluation Criteria Due

Week of 10/20
Reading: 9) Steinberg
WWW -- GLOBE: http://www.globe.gov/

Week of 10/27
Friday 10/31 at 5:00 Courseware Evaluation due
Reading: 10) Wolfe, Cummins, & Myers
WWW -- The Exploratorium: http://www.exploratorium.edu
WWW -- The Field Museum: http://rs6000.bvis.uic.edu:80/museum/

The Dragonfly Web Pages

Week of 11/3 VOTE!
Groupware Evaluation due Friday Nov. 7, 5:00 PM
Reading: 11) Cummins, Haynes, Myers, and Wolfe
WWW -- Dragonfly Web Pages: http://www.muohio.edu/dragonfly/
WWW -- Crash course on writing documents for the Web: http://www8.zdnet.com/pcweek/eamonn/crash_course.html
* Dragonfly Exercise Given

Week of 11/10
Reading: 12) Landow
WWW -- HTML Help: http://netamorphix.com/html.html

Week of 11/17
Reading: 13) Charney
WWW -- Web Wonk: http://www.dsiegel.com/tips/index.html

Week of 11/24
WEDNESDAY 11/26-SUNDAY 11/31 Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes)
WWW -- The Bandwidth Conservation Society:
http://www.infohiway.com/faster/original/index.html
WWW -- The Bandwidth Conservation Society 2:
http://www.infohiway.com/way/faster/index.html WWW -- The Children's Gallery: http://redfrog.norconnect.no/~cag/

Week of 12/1
Reading: 14) Kadie
WWW -- Ethics Online: http://www.educom.edu/web/pubs/review/reviewArticles/31432.html
WWW -- Views on the Communications Decency Act: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/june97/CDA_6-26.html
WWW Copyright FAQ: http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/mirrors/faq/copyright/faq/






Week of 12/8
Dragonfly Web Pages due
WWW -- WCP 142 Web Pages for Dragonfly:
http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~wcp142b/
http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~wcp142c/
http://miavx1.muohio.edu/~wcp142d/
* Take-Home Final Exam Given

Week of 12/15
FINALS WEEK
Take-home Final Exam due (in designated period to be announced).

Required Readings

Wolfe, C. R. and Sherman, R. (Eds.) (1997). The cyberspace companion. Oxford, Ohio: Oxford Copy Shop. (and selected e-mail and readings from the Internet.)

The Cyberspace Companion Table of Contents
1) Kling, R. (1996). Hopes and horrors: Technological Utopianism and anti-utopianism in narratives of computerization. In Rob Kling (Ed.), Computerization and Controversy (2nd edition, pp. 40-58). San Diego: Academic Press.

2) Nguyen, D. T., & Alexander, J. (1996). The coming of cyberspacetime and the end of the polity. In Rob Shield (Ed.), Cultures of Internet. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

3) Sproull, L., & Faraj, S. (1997). Atheism, sex, and databases: The net as a social technology. In S. Kiesler (Ed.), Culture of the Internet. Mahwah, N.J.: Erlbaum.

4) Baym, N. K. (1995). The emergence of community in computer-mediated communication. In S. G. Jones (Ed.), Cybersociety. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

5) Turkle, S. (1995). Identity crisis. In S. Turkle, Life On The Screen: Identity In The Age Of The Internet (pp. 255-269). New York: Simon & Schuster.

6) Orlikowski, W. J. (1996). Learning from notes: Organizational issues in groupware implementation. In Rob Kling (Ed.), Computerization and Controversy (2nd edition, pp. 173-189). San Diego: Academic Press.

7) Papert, S. (1984). Computer as mudpie. In Dale Peterson (Ed.), Intelligent Schoolhouse (pp. 17-26). Reston, Virginia: Reston Publishing.

8) Resnick, L. B. (1989). Introduction. In Lauren B. Resnick (Ed.), Knowing, Learning, And Instruction: Essays In Honor Of Robert Glaser (pp. 1-14, 23-24). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

9) Steinberg, E. R. (1991). A framework for CAI. In E. R. Steinberg (Ed.) Computer-Assisted Instruction: A Synthesis Of Theory, Practice, And Technology (pp. 21-50). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

10) Wolfe, C. R., Cummins, R. H., & Myers, C. A. (in press). Dabbling, discovery, and dragonflies: Scientific inquiry and exploratory representational play. In D. P. Fromberg & D. Bergen (Eds.) Play from birth to twelve: Contexts, perspectives, and meanings. N.Y., N.Y.: Garland.

11) Cummins, R. H., Haynes, C., Myers, C. A., and Wolfe, C. R. (1997). Project Dragonfly.

12) Landow, G. P. (1991). The rhetoric of hypermedia: Some rules for authors. In Paul Delany and George P. Landow (Eds.) Hypermedia and Literary Studies (pp. 81-103). Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

13) Charney, D. (1991). The impact of hypertext on processes of reading and writing. In S. J. Hillgoss and C. L. Selfe (Eds.) Literacy and Computers. New York: MLA.

14) Kadie, C.M. (1996). Applying library intellectual freedom principles to public and academic computers. In Rob Kling (Ed.), Computerization and Controversy (2nd edition, pp. 569-579). San Diego: Academic Press.

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