180 Notes

Day 1

8/19/98

1. Welcome. My background and interests. Introductions and interests.
2. Course Overview

Survey of communications---HUGE challenge for 15 weeks:

whole schools, departments specializing in various subfields: interpersonal, oral/written, work group, mass comm, journalism, scholarly, computer-mediated, design.

Generic terms like, communication, information, media, channel, message

Mix of backgrounds and perspectives in SILS

My plan: Implications of ubiquitous interpersonal communication capabilities on work, learning, and leisure. Do the survey of different aspects of communication studies but focus on information design

3. Why is this a core course?

Communication theories undergird much of the IS research (as much as cog science, technology)

Essential skills for leadership (you may be focused on a job for the next decade, I’m focused on your impact on overall field—we aim to train information specialists who will lead)

4. Logistics

a) Syllabus at www.ils.unc.edu/~march/courses/180/syllabus.html see organization and flow

b) Assignments: readings, discussion participation (in class and online), reviews of structure and affordances of media, content analysis or citation analysis, term project

c) Term Project: see handout

d) Reading Plan: Too much to read, too little time, maximize your time Creating communications—therefore, we will use a jig-saw approach that takes advantage of community. Some readings we will all do (9), the rest, one-third of you will do and report back to rest of class. Team 1, 2, 3 mapping

Team 1

Anderson et al.

Tibbo

Borgman

Chatman

Sonnenwald

Bolter

Team 2

Olson et al.

Conger

Price

Paisley

Tonfoni

Turoff

Team 3

Tannen

Trigg & Bodker

Crane

Rogers

Albers

McCarthy & Monk

e) Today’s assignments:

e.1. Subscribe to INLS180-01 by sending mail to listproc@ils.unc.edu leaving subject blank, type: subscribe INLS180-01 first name last name

e.2. Search the web for definitions of communication, decide which one you like best, post to the class list.

e.3. Read Pierce, Read Weaver (on reserve in SILS Library)

5. The one-minute paper concept