The front matter of your syllabus will contain a great deal of information specific to your school and department. In all likelihood your school will have boilerplate language you will be required to include, so check with your department and your administration. If you already have the front matter, you may want to scroll past the Syllabus Checklist and view the
Weekly Schedule.
Syllabus Checklist:
1) College name
2) Department name and course number.
3) Faculty/Instructor Name
4) Contact Information including email address, phone number, office location, and office hours
5) Current semester and date
6) Course Information including title, credit hours, meeting times, location and section, and length of term (i.e. 16 weeks/8 weeks)
7) Catalog Description of the Course
8) Course Description (optional) – This is a personalized course description providing more details for students, such as course themes.
9) Course Objectives and Course Outcomes. Objectives are what the teacher intends to provide through instruction. Outcomes are what the student will do to demonstrate they have met the objectives.
10) Resources and/or Textbooks – List any textbooks required for the course, including the ISBN number.
11) Statement on any educational technology being used for the course, such as GradesFirst, Blackboard or Moodle.
12) Grading Policy: It should be clear to students exactly what your expectations are of them in earning their grades. Include a qualitative and quantitative rubric. Also let students know about extra credit that may be available to them as well as any policies on late work and/or plagiarism, or other considerations.
13) Definition/Description of “Active Pursuit.” Active pursuit is measured by class participation, taking required examinations, quizzes, submission of required papers, work assignments and class attendance. Students who are not demonstrating active pursuit may be dropped from the course.
14) Attendance Policy. Include any information about attendance, tardies, and absences here. If specific policies are in place regarding late arrival or leaving early, it pays to be clear!
15) Statement on Plagiarism/ Academic Integrity/Academic Dishonesty.
16) Weekly/Daily Schedule Be as specific as possible in listing the items below on your weekly schedule. Should they change, be exceptionally clear with students, preferably in writing or posted on Blackboard. § Areas of content § Assignment due dates § Critique/test/quiz dates § Readings § Activities § Holidays and breaks If your class is a hybrid, the rigor of the online component must be evident in the weekly syllabus.
17) Federal and State Statutes and Mandates.
Weekly Schedule:
Welcome to LIS 101, Social Policy and the Mass Media Landscape. We will be looking at social issues and policy through the lens of information literacy, which is defined as the ability to know when information is needed and then to access, critically evaluate, and ethically use that information. You’ll learn the practical skills for each of those tasks, and more broadly, come to understand some of the economic, political, cultural, and psychological elements that comprise the creation, dissemination, and (mis)understanding of information.
I have posted links to all of the lectures and readings that correspond with the weekly schedule. In general the first class of the week focuses on the mass media environment and/or a philosophical issue of information literacy and the second focuses on a particular skill or skill set.
Week 1
Class1 : Our class session will be spent touring the library, looking at our webpage, reviewing the syllabus, and taking the pre-course assessment. We will also look at The Information Literacy Tutorial . You will need to set up a temporary registration to access the site. Some of the concepts are pretty basic and might seem kind of funny, but it establishes a good baseline of understanding for the rest of the course.
Skill Focus: Different Kinds of Authority
Homework: In order to prepare for next class, please familiarize yourself with the contents of the library’s homepage. Be able to find the OPAC and view the brief tutorial on call numbers.
Class 2: Today we will talk about the library webpage, the online public access catalog (OPAC), and how call numbers work. Then we will have a scavenger hunt.
Skill Focus: Examples of Authority
Homework: Go to Module One and read The Introduction and The Ancient Greeks, Oral Tradition, Writing, and Libraries. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 2
Class 3: The Library at Alexandria is considered the prototype of present-day libraries. Though the story is old, there are still important lessons to learn from its history concerning the social, economic, and political dimensions of information literacy.
Skill Focus: Making Sure You Understand Your Assignment.
Homework for Next Class: Go to Module One and read Early Printing and Books. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class! Answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module 1.
Class 4: Discussion of the history of publishing and what the future may bring.
Skill Focus: Figuring Out What You Already Know.
Homework for Next Class: Go to Module Two and read The Introduction and Epistemology . Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 3
Class 5: The introduction to epistemology is a tricky subject, and I expect to spend quite a bit of class talking about the reading. Make sure you come prepared to talk about it!
Skill Focus: Organizing Information and Automatic Alerts .
Homework: Go to Module Two and read The Impact of Heuristics and Cognitive Biases on Information . Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Class 6: In class discussion of the readings. Again, this is a tough module, and you are likely being introduced to some brand new concepts. Make sure you come prepared to ask questions and discuss!
Skill Focus: How to Narrow Your Topic and The Difference Between a Research Question and a Thesis Statement.
Homework: Go to Module Two and read The Impact of Culture on Information . Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 4
Class 7: Discussion of the readings.
Skill Focus: Boolean Operators and Search Strategies and Searching in the Databases.
Homework: Go to Module Two and read The Impact of Psychology and Biology on Information. Answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module 2.
Class 8: Discussion of the reading.
Skill Focus: Cognitive Biases and a Usable Source Rubric.
Homework: Go to Module Three and read The Introduction and Early US Newspapers. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 5
Class 9: Discuss the Readings.
Skills Focus: FREE RESEARCH DAY! Research anything related to a course or life need.
Homework: Go to Module Three and read The Legal Landscape of Information. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class! Answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module Three.
Class 10: Discuss the Readings.
Skills Focus: A Brief Guide to Sources and Avoiding Information Malpractice.
Homework: Enjoy Your Weekend. Watch some news programs with a critical eye.
Week 6
Class 11: Talk about the class so far. Think/Pair Share with classmates about what you have learned and what is unclear.
Skill Focus: Tools for Critically Evaluating Sources, How to Use What You Find.
Homework: Go to Module Four and read The Introduction and Information and the State. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Class 12: A discussion of censorship
Skill Focus: FREE RESEARCH DAY!
Homework: Go to Module Four and read Industry and Information. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 7
Class 13: Discuss how video informs and misinforms.
Skill Focus: Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Citing.
Homework: Go to Module Four and read Influence Brokers. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class! Answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module 4.
Class 14: Discussion of think tanks.
Skill Focus: What to Do with What You Find.
Homework: Go to Module Four and read Influence Brokers. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class! Answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module 4.
Week 8
Class 15: A sweet discussion of sugar in which we look at the war between beets and corn.
Skill Focus: Grassroots and Astroturf.
Homework: Go to Module Five and read The Introduction and Political Aspects of the Internet. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Class 16: Discussion of the readings.
Skill Focus: Google Hacks and Database Tips.
Homework: Go to Module Five and read Internet Searching—Exploring Limitations of Design and Content. Be prepared to discuss all readings in class!
Week 9
Class 17: Discussion of the readings.
Skill Focus: Common logical fallacies, counterarguments, and picking apart discussion boards.
Homework: Go to Module Five and read and PRACTICE all of the Research Skills for Module Five . Be prepared to demonstrate your skills in class!
Class 18: Discussion of the readings.
Skill Focus: Quoting, Paraphrasing, Citing and Annotating.
Homework: Go to Module Five and answer the Questions for Critical Thinking for Module 5.
Week 10
Class 19: Discussion of Major Course Projects: Annotated Bibliography, Research Paper Outline, and Group Project.
Skill Focus: Stacking Search Strategies for complex projects.
Class 20: Workshop
Skill Focus: Search Strategies and Advanced Database Skills
Week 11
Class 21: Workshop, Assignment of Group Projects
Skill Focus: Group Dynamics
Class 22: Workshop
Skill Focus: Common Logical Fallacies, Counterarguments, and Debiasing Misinformation
Homework: Annotated Bibliographies are due at the beginning of Class 23!
Week 12
Class 23: Workshop
Skill Focus: Review of Information Malpractice and Evaluation Tools
Class 24: Workshop
Skill Focus: Paper Outlines I
Week 13
Class 25 Workshop
Skill Focus: Paper Outlines II
Homework: Research Paper Outlines are due at the beginning of Class 26!
Class 26: Free Research Day for Group Project
Week 14
Class 27: Free Research Day for Group Project
Class 28: Free Research Day for Group Project
Week 15
Class 29: Discussion: Thinking about how it is all connected. Let me hear what you think.
Class 30: Course Evaluation, Post-Course Assessment.
Skills Focus: Troubleshooting Group Projects
Week 16
Class 31: Workshop
Skills Focus: Troubleshooting Group Projects
Homework: Group Projects are due at the beginning of Class 32!
Class 32: Wrap Up, Loose Ends, Final Thoughts
