We want our curriculum to address the latest skills and technologies available in the library and information fields.
LIS 2975 / 3970: Gender and the Global Information Technology Sector: (Cross-listed with INFSCI 2965, INFSCI 3150, & LIS 3970) The growing trend toward outsourcing, off shoring, and dispersion of work across national boundaries means that students entering the workforce in the twenty-first century must be prepared to deal with a global client base and global colleagues. Part of this preparation includes understanding the gender diversity of colleagues, clients and users with whom you will be working — both virtually and face-to-face — to develop, deploy and use information technology solutions. This course takes a cross-cultural examination of gender as it relates to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields in general, and the information technology field, in particular. Understanding the gender and cultural diversity of both colleagues and users will have ramifications for the way in which work is accomplished, user requirements for technology are understood, and interaction with computer-based tools is accomplished. However, to varying degrees around the world, women are underrepresented in the in STEM, generally, and in the IT field, in particular. They are under represented both in the IT workforce and in the conceptualization of the IT user. Similarly, a dominant model of masculinity is associated with technology development, deployment and use. For these reasons, it is necessary for those working in STEM fields to have an understanding of gender issues in order to have a complete understanding of users, and to work productively with colleagues.
Data and Information in Systems (in development): This course introduces students to concepts and technical skills through successively deeper engagements in four key areas, Data, Code, Metadata, and Databases. The course will cycle or spiral around these four key areas teaching students a bit more about topics in each of these areas building on previous ideas. So in the first sequence of Data->Code->Metadata->Databases students will learn about basic data types or formats, then they will learn some code to manipulate those data, then they will learn to generate metadata about those data and finally learn about how to model a database to store those data.
LIS 20xx: Design Methods Sequence (in development): A major curricular component of the redesigned MLIS is a new three course sequence, tentatively called Design Methods Sequence (DMS). DMS is a required three-course sequence of experiential learning for MLIS students in which they work in teams with a partner knowledge organization to solve real-world problems, providing essential and valuable experience that future employers are looking for in our MLIS graduates. The sequence exposes students, both experientially and conceptually, to the mindset, values, and methods of Design Thinking as an approach to finding, understanding, and solving problems. Each term focuses on different stages of the design thinking process, beginning with Identifying, moving on to Implementing, and ending with Integrating. DMS uses the Design Thinking process (i.e define, research, ideate, prototype, choose, implement, and learn) as a scaffold to teach students specific design methods for gathering information, formulating problems, brainstorming ideas, prototyping and testing solutions, and assessing a solution’s effectiveness. Teams of students (4-5) will engage with partnering knowledge organizations to apply the Design Thinking process to address specific information problems and needs.
LIS 2184: Intellectual Property and Open Movements
LIS 2678: Data Science for Library and Information Professionals