Spring Term Courses

Process vs. Practice: How Work Gets Done

There are many examples of large (re)systemization projects within organizations that do not deliver on the promise of the technology and, in fact, result in adverse business impacts. With the increasing rate of technological innovation, there is a commensurate increase in the temptation to engineer technological solutions for process problems within an organization. This approach often ignores the impact to organizational culture, social knowledge, and other issues that are critical to a organizational success. This short course examines the interplay among those issues with various technological approaches and offers ideas for optimizing the performance of the organization and the systems that support it.

Information Architecture

Information architecture (IA) is a lot like housework—no one really notices, unless you don't do it. Defining an information architecture is perhaps the most important aspect of development of a website, intranet, or other information portal. Clear IA specifications provide a concrete development plan within a framework based on project objectives. This course provides a theoretical foundation and practical experience with information architecture techniques. Specific topics include: the need for IA; the role of an information architect on a development team; documenting IA work and producing IA deliverables; and applying IA principles to navigation, labeling, and searching systems.

Writing for Research

Writing for Research introduces you to research writing format and style. It examines the requirements of the research writing mode and the structures of effective research presentation. You may review articles, critiques and other student writings. This course is delivered via the Web.

Research Methods

Discusses research as a formalized inquiry stressing the variety of forms inquiry may take when addressing various types of problems. Participants learn to locate resources, analyze research and formulate research problems. Design and implementation of a small-scale study familiarizes students with common data collection and analytical approaches.

Information Design and Communication

Familiarizes students with the concepts, vocabulary, tools, and technologies of the design and presentation of electronically processed and print information. Practical exercises increase visual literacy and demonstrate what is needed to create documents that are noticed, read, and understood.

POSTED: January 29, 2007
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