Transcript Computer and Information Literacy: A Moving Target

Computer and Information
Literacy: A Moving Target
Jack Beidler
James R. Sidbury
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA 18510
[email protected]
(717) 941-7774
Introduction
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Background
Goals
Experience
Future
Background
• C/I Lit Freshman Requirement in new
curriculum
• Concerns
– What is taught in this course?
– Will the course be relevant in the near
future at the college level?
Background
• Liberal Art Basis - The Seven Liberal
Arts
– Trivium - Language, Logic, Rhetoric
– Quadrivium - Arithmetic, Geometry,
Music, and Astronomy
• Where does C/I Lit fit?
– Trivium - Obtain, evaluate, disseminate
information
Background
• Not teaching about CS • Computing as a tool
• Not excel
• Spreadsheet as a tool
• Not keystoking
• Role of computing
resources in problem
solving
Goals
• University Committee on C/I Lit
• Computing as a Problem Solving Tool
• Five General Areas of Interest
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Word Processing
Data analysis (Spreadsheets, Maple, …)
Graphics
Electronic Communications
Database
Goals
• Outcomes
– Be able to use computer and information
resources in an integrated way (computer
tools, campus computing, library and
INTERNET) to solve meaningful
problems in the individual's area of
interest.
– Effective use of electronic presentation
and dissemination tools
Goals
• Outcomes
– Describe how a computing system and its
subunits (hardware and software) work.
– Understand the impact of computer
information technology on modern
society.
Experience
• Course Structure
– 2 - 1hr. Lectures (2 credit hours)
– 1 - 2hr. Lab. (1 credit hour)
• Required by all freshman - incl. CS,
CIS
• Class size - 28 max. lecture / 16 lab
Experience
• Prior Experiences of Students
– All with minimum word processing skills
– Few with spreadsheet or other experience
– Growing Internet experience, incl.
Search engines
• Pushing the envelope - The
Questionnaire Project
The Questionnaire Project
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Create a questionnaire
Place it on the web, with cgi support
Collect data
Spreadsheet Analysis
Graphics
Final report
The Questionnaire Project
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http://www.academic.uofs.edu/faculty/beidler/CILit/fall_97.html
• Web Support
– Working with software people
– Web-izing the questionnaire
– The data file
• Including IP - raises privacy issues
• Time
Future
• Advanced WP
• Advanced Internet - Search Engines
• Focused C/I Lit
– Same goals
– Directed Applications
• Additional Courses
Web Development -- Current
CI/L course contents
• one lab on creating simple web page
• Some instructors have their students
publish this page to the University
web server
Web Development -- New
Course for Non-technical
students
• On Unix platform accessed via
WinNT/Notepad/Netscape Composer
• Basic HTML through forms
• Use/modification of existing
JavaScript
• Integrate with current Web course for
majors
Future
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Fun or boring
For Students
For Faculty
Labs resources vs. grunt work