IT PROBLEM

Assignment Title: Information Technology Problem Area Description

Participation: Group.

Due dates:
Part 1, Team names: 20 January 2001.
Part 2, Essay: 6 February 2001.

Format:
Part 1, Team names: discussion board post.
Part 2, Essay: Formal four or five page essay in APA final manuscript format.

Submission Method:
Part 1, Team names: Discussion board post.
Part 2, Essay: Email to the course emailbox with the essay attached as a MSWord document.

Maximum points: 5.

Introduction: In a classroom situation, students get to know each other by sitting next to others, discussions during breaks, and working with each other on assignments. Initially in such an environment, working together on an assignment often shortcuts some of the learning time needed to become familiar with writing mechanics (formats, style, etc.) In a web-based class, getting to know each other is more difficult. As is learning mechanics often considered routine in a classroom setting. The intent of this assignment is to help students develop closer working relationships and shortcut the learning curve.

Goals: The goals of this assignment are:

• To identify and describe a problem in information technology.
  
  
• To develop a closer working relationship among some of your colleagues and thus to develop an increased sense that you know at least some of the other students better.
  
  

• To learn identify reference sources available for research.
  

• To learn APA formatting standards and other writing requirements for this class.
  

• To practice formal paper development in general as a group to enhance individual performance later in the class.
  

Tasks:

1. 1. Based on the total size of the class, form yourselves into small groups of 3 to 6 students. (The TA will help determine the size when the class membership is known.) If possible, each group should include members from more than one geographic location. Since one of the goals of this assignment is provide you with experience in working cooperatively using the Internet, the members of each group should, in carrying out this assignment, communicate with each other solely via email.
   
   
2. Select a team name from library and information science pioneers (some examples are Dewey, Taub, Eratosthenes, Cutter, Garfield, Callimachus, Tritheim, Bush, Gesner, Maunsell, Shaw, Bodley, Rostgaard, Panizzi, Jewett, Luhn, Otlet, LaFontaine, and Ranganathan).
   
   
3. Post your team's name and members to the discussion board.
   
   
4. Jointly develop a 4-5 page description of a problem area in the application and use of information technology in society. The problem-area description will have to be based on at least 5 sources, and the sources will have to include at least 2 printed sources and 2 Web sources.
   
   
5. Send the essay as an attachment to an email addressed to the course emailbox.