Introduction to Internet Resources and Services

Spring '99
#43405 (Tue)
#43400 (Thu)

Course Description

JUMP TO: Overview | Objectives | Expectations | Integrity | Requirements | Grading

Course Overview

Introduction to Internet Resources and Services is a formal and multi-disciplinary introduction to the "community of networks" known as the Internet. The student initially will learn the fundamentals of how the Internet operates and how to use it effectively, and then build upon this foundation to become an active and productive participant in this electronic community.

The Internet is not merely the topic of this class. It will be an integral part of the learning experience. Conventional classroom lectures and assignments will be complemented by activities mediated through the Internet.

We will consider many different aspects of the net, ranging from engineering operations to business opportunities to social and political concerns. We recognize, however, that the library and information science professional has a special responsibility as the intermediary and facilitator to information. Therefore, we shall pay particular attention to the methods for discovery, evaluation, organization and presentation of information on the net.

Course Objectives

This course is designed to help the student:

• Understand the technical and organizational operation of both the Internet infrastructure and common Internet services.

• Develop experience and understanding of the common Internet services, as well as familariaty with some of the applications that implement these services.

• Develop the skills to communicate effectively across the Internet.

• Learn to locate, evaluate and use Internet information resources.

• Learn how to structure and provide information for effective use on the World Wide Web.

• Appreciate the current context and potential significance of the evolving information culture.

• Effectively integrate Internet services into your personal, academic, and future professional life.

At the conclusion of this course, the student should have acquired the following skills:

• Understand and effectively use all the common Internet services, including: email, mailing lists, Usenet, FTP, and World Wide Web.

• Effective use of email and Usenet news for both one-to-one communication and group discussion.

• Understand and effectively use the various of information resources on the Internet, including: search engines, directories, virtual libraries, and more.

• Complete familarity with HTML authoring, and an understanding of many of the considerations involved in web site design.

• Effective use of the World Wide Web for information publishing. Experience working with a team to produce a significant Web site.

• Understanding of some the current social and political issues related to the Internet, including: cryptography and content filtering.

Performance Expectations

• Attend all class sessions. Unexcused absences may adversely affect your final grade. In the event of illness or medical emergency, please contact the instructor as soon as you can. If you wish to request an excused absence, contact the instructor at least 48 hours in advance. It is your responsibility to obtain any notes, handouts, and assignment information from a classmate.

• Attend the class session for which you are registered. You may not attend any other class session without the advance permission of the instructor.

• Read assigned materials prior to the start of class. This class has a moderately heavy reading load, although much of it is not difficult reading. Plan to read 40 to 80 pages each week.

• Prepare for class. You should plan to spend 3-4 hours in preparation for each hour of classroom instruction.

• Complete and hand in all assignments on-time. Assignments are due at the start of class on the date listed in the schedule. Late assignments will be penalized 10% for each day late.

• Participate in class and on-line discussions with contributions that reflect familiarity with and understanding of readings, networking tools, and Internet experience.

• Develop a workable "backup strategy" so that assignments can be completed on-time even in the event of computer failure or malfunction.

• Collaborate with classmates in the development and presentation of group projects. All other assignments, however, must represent your own individual work.

• Be responsible for the care or return of collective property (IT Lab and library materials).

• Communicate with the instructor when you require clarification or assistance.

Course Requirements

The following texts are required:

Lehnert, Wendy G. Internet 101. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1998.

Castro, Elizabeth. HTML 4 for the World Wide Web. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press, 1998.

The University Co-op has ordered these books as a package (ISBN 0-201-63656-5) which is slightly discounted off the individual book price.

The following text is optional:

Ackerman, Ernest, and Karen Hartman. Searching and Researching on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Wilsonville, OR: Franklin, Beedle & Associates, 1998.

Additional readings will be assigned. Many will be available on-line and linked into the schedule. Others may be available on reserve in the Perry-Castañeda Library or the GSLIS IT Lab.

Basic computer skills are a prerequisite for this course. The student will need to be familiar with one of the following computer systems: Windows, Macintosh, or Unix. The student should have mastered the following skills:

• run programs
• obtain directory listings, including file sizes and modification times
• navigate the computer's hard disk
• copy, rename, and delete files and directories
• use floppy disks or other removable storage media
• cut-and-paste between applications
• use a text editor such as Windows notepad or Mac simple text
• prepare reports with a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect

Students should have had some prior exposure to the Internet, including experience browsing the web and using email. These basic skills will not be taught in the classroom. Students without this background still may participate (successfully) in this course, but it is their responsibility to contact the instructor and develop a remedial plan of action. This statement is not meant to discourage such students from enrolling in the class, but rather to make them aware that extra-curricular effort will be required on their behalf.

This class requires convenient Internet access, an Internet email address, use of a WWW server, and client software associated with numerous Internet protocols. The resources in the IT Lab in SZB-451 will meet these requirements. Therefore, all students are strongly urged to obtain an account on the GSLIS cluster -- even if they have an account with an Internet provider or elsewhere in the University. Students who wish to participate in (and receive credit for) the laboratories must obtain a GSLIS account. These accounts can be accessed from home, e.g. through a telesys dialin. Accounts created for this class (i.e. non-GSLIS students) are temporary, and will be purged shortly after the end of the semester.

Students will need access to a text processor and letter-quality printer to prepare essays and reports.

Students will need several blank diskettes. Students probably will need to bring disks when working in the IT Lab, e.g. to store mail folders, news subscription list, file uploads and downloads, etc. Also, students will need to create frequent, periodic backups of their work to avoid catastrophic loss.

Course Grading

Final grades will be assigned on the following scale:

Scale for Final Grades
A-	90 - 92%	A	93 - 96%	A+	97 - 100%
B-	80 - 82%	B	83 - 86%	B+	87 - 89%
C-	70 - 72%	C	73 - 76%	C+	77 - 79%
D-	60 - 62%	D	63 - 66%	D+	67 - 69%
F	below 60%

The components of the final grade are:

Component	Amount of Final Grade
Collaborative Project	30%
Three Quizzes	30%
Homework Assignments	15%
Instructional Tutorial	10%
Two Essays	10%
On-Line Participation	5%

Most assignments are assigned a numeric grade. Some, such as the essays, will be assigned a letter grade. For those assignments, you may calculate the numerical value from the following table:

Value of Letter Graded Assignments
A-	92%	A	95%	A+	100%
B-	82%	B	85%	B+	88%
C-	72%	C	75%	C+	78%
D-	62%	D	65%	D+	68%
F	0%

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