LBR 110: Effective Internet Searching                 Course Syllabus               

 

Instructor:

Matt Todd

E-mail: mtodd@nvcc.edu

Home page : http://www.nvcc.edu/home/mtodd/LBR110.htm

Office : 703-845-6033 Fax : 703-845-6205

 

Course Time and Room Assignment: 

Some Fridays  1:30-3:20 p.m.  Bisdorf  327

 

Office Hours: 

* Alexandria Campus Library (Bisdorf 232) –– Fridays 3:30-5:00 p.m., and by appointment

 

General Course Purpose:

Designed to teach students how to access information on the World Wide Web using the most appropriate search tool. Students will also learn how to critique search strategy, evaluate web sites and site Web resources.

 

Course Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

a) understand the history, current state, and future of information options on the WWW

b) analyze an information need

c) identify and compare search tools

d) select the most appropriate search tool

e) effectively use a search tool to access information

f) evaluate web sites retrieved

 

Course Texts:

There are no required texts for the course as such, as readings and exercises will be assigned in class. There are recommended texts available on Reserve in the Campus Library, but there is no course pack or text in the Bookstore.

 

Special Needs:   

Please address with me any special problems or needs at the beginning of the semester. If you are seeking accommodations based on a disability, you should provide a disability data sheet, which can be obtained from the counselor for special needs, who is located in Room 229 of the Bisdorf Building, telephone number 703-845-6301.

 

Special Note for Web Design Certificate  students:  If you have taken Mr Boggs’s IST 128/ ITE 130, see me after class.

 

Entry level competency (prerequisites):

Satisfactory score on the English proficiency examination.

 

Format:

This is a hybrid course, meaning that it blends face-to-face classroom experience and distance-education style individual and collaborative learning using a course webpage (http://www.nvcc.edu/home/mtodd/LBR110.htm) and course blog (http://lbr110.blogspot.com/).   Students must attend the in-class meetings and are also responsible for assignments delivered online.   Students must observe all deadlines carefully, and are responsible for keeping pace with the course even in the weeks that there are no face-to-face meetings.  Assignment submitted late will be penalized.  It is vital to observe all due dates, including blog-postings, noted in the syllabus.

Grading

Course grades are based upon written assignments submitted via email, discussion board posts, attendance, and a final Webliography project.

Homework Assignments: 40 points

Attendance and blog discussion: 30 points

Webliography: 30 points

Course Grades:   90-100+ = A; 80-89= B; 70-79= C; 60-69 = D; 59 and Below = F

Students are expected to do their own work in these assignments, and are directed to consult Section VI. of the Student Handbook – “Academic Dishonesty” for information regarding College policy on academic integrity.

 

Students are expected to keep pace with the course, and complete the homework and posts as assigned.  Assignments may be emailed (to mtodd@nvcc.edu) or submitted in the next class meeting.

Webliography

The Webliography is the final project for this course.  There is NO final exam for this course.  The Webliography is described under Week 8 on the course homepage.  The Webliography is a major research project designed to apply the research skills you will be learning in the course.  Note that even though the Webliography is listed under week 8, students are advised to begin the project BEFORE the final week.  This is a major research project  that will take you more than a week to successfully complete.

Webliography: 30 points

Attendance: 

Attendance and Absences -- Regular attendance at face-to-face meetings is required (there are only four (4) of these.  Failure to attend will result in grade penalty).   Students who miss more than 2 classes will not pass the course. 

 

Tardiness – It is your responsibility to be prompt.

  

Withdraws

Consult the Course Schedule for the last date to withdraw without grade penalty.

 

Weather Emergencies/Closings: 
Please be prepared to monitor radio, television or the college web site for information about closings due to inclement weather.  Please do not call the campus: the news media are the first to be notified of a closing.  In the event of a class cancellation, course activities will be adjusted accordingly.


 

Schedule of Activities:

 

Week

Date

Activity

Assignment

1

Aug 29:

In class meet in AA327

History & Development of the Internet & World Wide Web.  Facts & Myths about the WWW

Post an introduction on the blog.  Homework Assignment One.

2

Sept 5: No class meeting

Blueprint for the “Perfect Online Search”: Search like a pro

Log onto blog and post about research background.  Homework Assignment Two.

 

 

3

Sept 12:

In class meet in AA327

Invisible Web 

Homework Assignment Three

4

Sept 19: No class meeting

Search Tool Analysis: How Does It Do That? & What’s out there besides Google?

 

5

Sept 26: In class meet in AA327

Web Site Evaluation

Homework Assignment Four

6

Oct 3:  No class meeting

Web Page Design from a user’s perspective

Post on the course blog to evaluate NOVA website

7

Oct 10: No class meeting

Copyright & other Laws of the Internet

Post on the course blog about copyright law

8

Oct 17: no class meeting

Final Webliography Due

Final Webliography Due!

 


LBR 110 Reserve

 

One Day Reserve

 

  • The Invisible Web – Chris Sherman and Gary Price
  • Google: The Missing Manual—Sarah Milstein
  • Web Search Savvy: Strategies and Shortcuts for Online Research – Barbara Friedman
  • Find it Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research – Alan Schlein
  • User’s View of the Internet – Harry Bruce
  • Son of Web Pages That Suck: Learn Good Design by Looking at bad Design
  • Homepage Usability: 50 Webistes Deconstructed –Jakob Nielsen
  • Extreme Searcher’s Internet Handbook – Randolph Hock

 

Library Use Only

 

  • Lecture Notes/Readings