INFO 204-01
INFO 204-17
Information Professions
Spring 2022 Syllabus
Dr. Cheryl Dee
E-mail
Office Hours:
Virtual office hours via Zoom.
| Syllabus Links Textbooks CLOs Competencies Prerequisites |
Resources Canvas Login and Tutorials iSchool eBookstore |
Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning January 26 at 6 am PT unless you are taking an intensive or a one-unit or two-unit class that starts on a different day. In that case, the class will open on the first day that the class meets.
You will be enrolled in the Canvas site automatically.
Course Description
As they respond to the information needs of clients and communities, information organizations face complex and exciting challenges. This course will help prepare students to take on these challenges by providing them with an understanding of the organizations and environments in which information professionals work, traditional and emerging professional roles, and core management and leadership theories. This knowledge will help students understand the similarities and differences amongst information organizations, explore different specializations and career paths, apply professional values to ethical decision-making, and to develop core management and leadership skills. This course prepares students to be active participants in their professional communities and networks and to become collaborative professionals ready to take on management and leadership roles.
Note: iSchool requires that students earn a B in this course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
Course Requirements
Complete INFO 203 Online Learning: Tools and Strategies for Success. This is a mandatory 1 unit course that introduces students to the various e-learning tools used in the iSchool program, including Collaborate. For more information, see INFO 203 Online Learning.
Assignments and Recorded Zooms, and Optional Zoom Meetings Explaining Assignments
More detail on each assignment will be provided in Canvas
This course will provide an overview of practical and theoretical library management using the textbook, printed and Zoom lectures, on Canvas, asynchronous group discussions, Three optional Class Zoom Meetings discussing upcoming assignments, Three optional Drop-In Zoom Meeting to ask questions about assignments, and real-life management exercises. Each weekly assignment includes the iSchool required student learning objective and iSchool core competency related to the Assignment.
- Canvas Online Discussion/Class Participation
As this class is completely online and asynchronous, substantive participation in online discussions is a significant graded element in the course. - Information Professions' Manual
Students will develop a creative fictitious information professions setting (of personal interest to the student) in a selected library environment. The Information Professions' Manual uses management theories and practical applications to create the following sections: 1) Overview 2) Services, 3) Diversity Statement and 4) Marketing Plan. 5) International Sister Library/Organization 6) Leadership aspirations. - Management Styles and Skills
Students will take several informal management assessments or research the published literature and will discuss insights into their current and potential management style and skills in areas such as delegating, communicating, leading, and conflict management. Management skill assessment will prepare students for the Team Project as well as future careers.- Course Learning Outcomes: (Supports CLO #3)
- Core Competencies: A, D
- Cover Letter, Resume
- The cover letter and resume assignment will prepare the student to develop a dynamic cover letter and resume from a management perspective.
- Mock Interview
- Students practice a Zoom interview for a professional position. Each student serves as the interviewee and as the manager and each receives encouragement, compliments, and constructive suggestions from the interview partner.
- Team Project
Student Teams will select a type of library to create an Organizational Analysis/Strategic Plan for an information center chosen by the team. Teams are created according to types of libraries. Team building is an essential part of this project. Each team will describe the information center/library, develop a description, mission statement, SWOT, Strategies and Outcomes, and Action Plans for the library/information center. Students will present their project to the class either on Zoom or post on Discussions with audio format. A peer review will subsequently be conducted to assess individual team members' contributions to the project. - In-Basket Case Study
The In-Basket will place the student in the role of a manager and request responses to a set of management items found in the manager's in-basket. The instructions say the Director “has a plane to catch in 3 hours and an unexpected international speech to present;” however, intriguing and sometimes amusing items are in an In-Basket that require attention before a departure to Geneva. The In-Basket includes an application of management theories and practical issues discussed throughout the semester. This assignment is not a test but a learning experience that produces a subsequent lively discussion as the class shares their responses to the In-Basket items. - Citations
- Students will cite from the textbook, posted lectures, and additional relevant scholarly sources. APA is used for citations.
If an instructor finds that a student's writing ability is unacceptable, the instructor will require the student to sign up for online writing tutoring. The student will ask the tutor to confirm with the instructor that the student is attending sessions.
Assignment Due Date
- Assignments are due on Tuesday unless otherwise clearly noted.
- Assignments must be submitted on the date due.
Late work
Assignments submitted after the due date will be subject to a grade penalty. Contact Dr. Dee prior to an assignment deadline in case of a significant illness or emergency to adjust the due date if needed.
Course Calendar
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Calendar Spring 2021 |
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Week and Date |
Topics |
Assignments |
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Week 1: January 24– |
Introduction to Information Professions |
Introductions in Discussion - Hello Class Questionnaire, Team Project Choice |
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Week 2: January 31- |
Semester's Assignments Introduced in in Optional Zoom Meeting with Zoom Recording of Zoom Meeting Resume and Cover Letter |
Dr. Dee's Optional Zoom Meeting with Recording to describe Semester Assignments. Write a resume and cover letter |
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Week 3: February 7– |
Information Profession's Manual Instructions and Leadership Aspirations Work Week |
Dr. Dee's Recording to describe the "Parts" of the Information Profession's Manual Work Week to Create Manual including Sister Library |
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Week 4: February 14- |
Information Professions’ Manual Due
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Manual Posted Comments by Students in Discussions on Classmate's Manual |
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Week 5: February 21 – |
Management Assessments |
Take Assessments and write a summary. Share Summary with Team Members |
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Week 6: February 28– |
Team Project/Strategic Plan Introduction |
Dr. Dee's Zoom describing Team Project/Strategic Plan. Zoom Recording 1st synchronous Team Meeting |
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Week 7: March 7- |
Timeline for Team Project |
Develop a Team Timeline for Team Project |
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Week 8: March 14 – |
Team Project Work Week |
Work with team on Team Project Sign up for Zoom Team Project Presentation on Zoom or Recorded with Audio |
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Week 9: March 21 – |
Team Project Progress Report |
Team discuss, reach a consensus, and write Progress Report |
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Week 10: April 4 – |
Work on Team Project and Team Project Presentation Work Week |
Work with Team to prepare Team Project Presentation |
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Week 11: April 11– |
Strategic Plan Zoom Presentations Obtain Mock Interview Partner InBasket Case Study Instructions Posted |
Present on Zoom or Recorded with Audio in Class Post All Presentation to Discussions Class Comment on Presentations in Discussions |
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Week 12: April 18- |
Self and Team Evaluations
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Evaluate self and each Team Member confidentially, similar to annual work appraisals |
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Week 13: April 25- |
InBasket Case Study Due
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Student in the role of a Library Director responds to a set of management items found in the Directors's in-basket. Attend Optional Zoom to hear Team Members creative ideas on InBasket or Non-attendee to InBasket: Listen to InBasket Zoom Recording Prepare and Post InBasket Bullet Points from Class members concludions on Recording |
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Week14: May 2 - |
Mock Interview Due
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Student in the role of a Library Director responds to a set of management items found in the Directors's in-basket. |
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Week 15: May 9 - |
Save Papers and Projects for ePortfolio (optional) |
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Week 16: May 16 |
Last Day of Classes | Best wishes from Dr. Dee |
Assignment Points
|
Assignment |
Points |
|
Class Participation |
13 |
|
Team Participation – Team Meeting Attendance and Timely Team Document Submissions |
12 |
|
Resume and Cover Letter |
5 |
|
Information Professionals' Manual |
20 |
|
Management Styles and Skills |
0 |
|
Strategic Plan Progress Report |
10 |
|
Strategic Plan, including Timeline |
20 |
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Mock Interview |
10 |
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In-Basket Case Study |
10 |
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Point Total |
100 |
Distance Learning
Distance education is constantly evolving and is an ongoing learning process for both students and instructors. Each semester this course is updated to reflect new technology to make distance education more dynamic for the student. Online classes are a two-way learning process between the instructor and the students.
Course Workload Expectations
Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.
Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.
Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.
Course Prerequisites
INFO 204 has no prequisite requirements.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Describe the similarities and differences between various information organizations and professional roles from historical, current, and future perspectives.
- Recognize the roles and activities of managers in information organizations.
- Explain strategic planning processes and skills.
- Identify and choose appropriate assessment tools for evaluating organizational effectiveness.
- Synthesize (including reviewing, using and properly citing) the professional and research management and leadership literature.
- Demonstrate leadership abilities through collaborative teamwork.
- Analyze and assess their own and others leadership abilities through self-reflection and peer review.
- Apply management theories and principles, professional values, and ethical frameworks to organizational issues and decision-making using scenarios and case studies.
- Create and deliver high quality reports, presentations and organizational documents that communicate to internal and external stakeholders organizational values, missions, and priorities.
Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)
INFO 204 supports the following core competencies:
- A Demonstrate awareness of the ethics, values, and foundational principles of one of the information professions, and discuss the importance of those principles within that profession.
- B Describe and compare organizational settings in which information professionals practice.
- D Apply the fundamental principles of planning, management, marketing, and advocacy.
- M Demonstrate professional leadership and communication skills.
- N Evaluate programs and services using measurable criteria.
Textbooks
Required Textbooks:
- Hirsh, S. (Ed.) (2018). Information services today: An introduction (2nd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. Available as free eBook through King Library
Grading Scale
The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:
| 97 to 100 | A |
| 94 to 96 | A minus |
| 91 to 93 | B plus |
| 88 to 90 | B |
| 85 to 87 | B minus |
| 82 to 84 | C plus |
| 79 to 81 | C |
| 76 to 78 | C minus |
| 73 to 75 | D plus |
| 70 to 72 | D |
| 67 to 69 | D minus |
| Below 67 | F |
In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:
- C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
- B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work or undergraduate (for BS-ISDA);
For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA, Informatics, BS-ISDA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation. You must repeat the class if you wish to stay in the program. If - on the second attempt - you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified. - A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.
Graduate Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). Undergraduates must maintain a 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).
University Policies
Per University Policy S16-9, university-wide policy information relevant to all courses, such as academic integrity, accommodations, etc. will be available on Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs' Syllabus Information web page at: https://www.sjsu.edu/curriculum/courses/syllabus-info.php. Make sure to visit this page, review and be familiar with these university policies and resources.
In order to request an accommodation in a class please contact the Accessible Education Center and register via the MyAEC portal.
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