There will be no curving of grades because it puts people in comparison with one another, with the success of a few serving to impede the success of others. Brief Description of Each Evaluation Method 1. Class Participation Discussions will be open forums that facilitate the exchange of ideas, opinions, and personal anecdotes about our experiences with information technology and its impact on our lives. Potentially sensitive or emotionally charged issues will be examined in class as they relate to the social impact of information technology, including censorship, racism, cultural differences, etc. Please be cognizant of everyone's First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech or, if you would rather, adopt the following edict if you find yourself especially agitated by what someone else says.
Civility is the name of the game.
Particularly during the first half of the course, lab work will consist of assignments to help you learn how to use and evaluate the various methods of accessing information electronically. The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the sociological aspects of the Internet and to show how it serves as a medium for specific agendas. It will be broken down into smaller, incremental assignments which will be due throughout the semester, primarily based upon you work in the labs. The final project paper will be used to determine the skills learned in the class and to measure how choices were made to include certain types of information from the various resources covered in class. I expect a recognition of information technology's impact on your research strategy to be included in the paper.