INCO 1048: Section 43

CRN #52740; 1 unit online class

Information Competency and Bibliography

Fall 2017-August 21, 2017 through December 15, 2017

Required Textbook: MLA Handbook, 8^th Edition by Modern Language Association

ISBN: 9781603292627

Instructor: Sukena F. Taibjee

Contact: staibjee@taftcollege.edu

Fall Semester Calendar

Fall Semester Begins                                                  August 21, 2017

Labor Day - no classes                                                September 4, 2017

Veteran’s Day -no classes                                           November 11, 2017

Thanksgiving Holidays                                                November 23-24, 2017

Final Examinations                                                     December 11-15, 2017

Fall Semester Ends                                                    December 15, 2017

Winter Recess                                                             December 16, 2017 – January 16, 2018

 

 

Figure 1: Taft College Library Catalog

Course Description: Information Competency and Bibliography, INCO 1048 deals with locating information both in the library and on the Internet. Students will learn traditional methods of library research, such as the use of catalogs, as well as effective use of Internet resources. In addition, students will learn to evaluate print and Internet sources, write an annotated bibliography, and discuss the legal and ethical issues of intellectual property including copyright, fair use, and plagiarism. This course does not deal with writing skills. This is a one-unit course. Eligibility for English 1000 and Reading 1005 strongly recommended. Students can expect up to two hours of work outside of class per week.

What you will learn: A student will learn to conduct research on an academic topic including use of the following methods. Upon completion of the course, the student will: 

• Acquire a working knowledge of a research topic
• Construct effective research strategies to locate appropriate information resources
• Identify Library of Congress Subject Headings and keywords in order to develop a search statement
• Utilize search techniques such as truncation, and Boolean operators.
• Locate useful information resources both in the library and on the World Wide Web
• Evaluate the credibility and quality of information using established criteria
• Demonstrate an understanding of the legal and ethical issues of information, including plagiarism and copyright
• Locate sources of information for research including books, articles, and websites
• Write complete bibliographic citations using MLA bibliographic style
• Evaluate the credibility of sources of information for bias, quality, and factual accuracy

INCO 1048 - Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's)

1. Demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate and use appropriate information sources to answer an information need.

Coursework: All assignments will be uploaded on Canvas on due dates which will generally be a Saturday, at 11:59 pm (PST). In addition, students are responsible for all assigned readings, quizzes, and assignments required by the instructor. Most of the class work requires hands-on experience with library resources and is practical in nature. All assignments are based on the Taft College Library.

Research Topic: Each student will develop a research topic to use throughout the semester. By using the same topic throughout the semester, you will gain “real world” experience locating books, journal articles, web sites, on a single topic. You will not write a research paper in this class.

Grading: Grading follows a standard 10% scale:

            90-100=A  

            80-89=B

            70-79=C

            60-69=D  

            below 59=F

Numerical scores will be awarded.

All students are expected to work independently on quizzes and assignments.  Failure to adhere to this policy will adversely affect your grade. Please keep all of your graded assignments in case a discrepancy occurs in the grade records. Record your scores in order to keep track of your grade in the class. To achieve a passing grade in this course, students must complete all assigned work and take the final exam. If you do not take the final exam and submit your annotated bibliography, you will not pass this class. Please contact the instructor if you have an emergency or need clarifications.

Assignments and Basis for Evaluation

Discussions = 65 points-13 percent

Participation is an important part of your final grade. Participation will be graded primarily through your use of the online discussion forums, and the surveys at the beginning and end of the course. We will use the discussions to think critically together about information literacy and the ethical use of information. 

Quizzes = 75 points-15 percent

Quizzes will offer you a way to test your understanding of the information presented in the lectures.

Assignments = 160 points-32 percent

Assignments will guide students as they complete final annotated bibliography.

Final Exam = 100 points-20 percent

Final exam will be available on Canvas from Monday, December 11, 2017 through Wednesday, December 13, 2017, 11:59 pm (PST). Students will have one timed attempt to complete the exam.

Annotated Bibliography = 100 points-20 percent

The final project of the course is an annotated bibliography that addresses your research question using six sources, including books, periodical articles, and websites. We will use MLA citation style, 8^th edition throughout the course.

Late work: Assignments are due Saturdays, 11:59 pm (PST) via Canvas. Individual dues dates will be specified in the assignment. Late work will not be accepted. Any quizzes or participation in weekly discussion groups missed due to absence cannot be made-up.

Even if you register after classes have begun, you are expected to submit all assignments on time. The instructor reserves the right to change the assignments and due dates if necessary. Check the course Announcements Tool for any such changes.

Attendance: Since this class is a lecture/lab course, attendance/online participation is very important. Students are responsible for dropping classes, but the attendance policy in the college catalog will be upheld—except in extreme and unforeseen circumstances. This means a student will be dropped if he/she does not participate in the first class discussion unless you notify your instructor.

Distance Learning Attendance and Non-Participation: All students enrolled in a distance-learning course must log in to the course and complete any assignment or activity required during the first week. Students who fail to complete first-week assignments/activities within the instructor’s deadline may be dropped. It remains the case that, “Students are responsible for officially withdrawing from any class or classes in which they no longer wish to be enrolled.”

 

Last Date to Drop with a Refund	Last Date to Drop Without a “W”	Last Date to Drop With a “W”
30-AUGUST-2017	04-SEPTEMBER-2017	25-OCTOBER-2017

Students are expected to complete quizzes, assignments and participate in the online discussions. Stating, “I agree” is not considered as participating in the discussions, please engage in the forums with concrete and pertinent observations and please observe Web Etiquette. A general rule to observe is to avoid making comments that one would not make in person. Treat your classmates with courtesy and respect in our online classroom as you would in a bricks and mortar classroom.

Course Repetition and Withdrawal:
Students who have received a course grade of D, F, NP, FW, or W 3 times will not be permitted to take the course again at Taft College. If extenuating circumstances apply, students may petition to enroll in a course the fourth time. For further information, please contact the Counseling Center at 661-763-7748.

The last day to withdraw from a class without a “W” being recorded on your transcript can be found online under the Deadline for Adding/Dropping Classes.

Web Etiquette

Some helpful hints concerning taking an online class

1. Be respectful to your fellow classmates and instructor - be aware that what you write may be misconstrued, so think about it before you send it
2. Do not write in all capitals - this is considered SHOUTING
3. Do not belittle any of your classmates’ opinions/ideas - everyone is entitled to their own ideas whether you agree or not, it is fine to disagree in a constructive way
4. Do not write in texting language. If you are saying, "U" make sure to spell out “you”.
5. Do not expect immediate responses to questions - just because this is an online class does not mean that fellow students and/or the instructor is always online and available. All questions will be answered within 24 hours unless it is a weekend, then questions will be answered on Monday.

Requirements for Online Learning
Basic Computer Skills
This class has no official prerequisites, however, in order to succeed in any online course, it is important for you to have some general technology skills such as knowing how to turn on your technology device and turn it off correctly, how to use your operating system, and the applications you will need.
Most of all, you should feel comfortable enough not to panic when something goes wrong, but to calmly assess what has happened, what might have caused it, and how it might be remedied. You will need the following basic computer skills to complete the activities needed to be successful in this course:
Typing and using a mouse
Working on the Internet does not require fast keyboarding skills, but you should be able to express your ideas using text and know how to drag, point and click using a mouse.
Passwords
You will need to know the importance of remembering your username and password and of saving them in a safe and secure place. You will also need to understand the distinction between uppercase and lowercase letters and that the "caps lock" key can interfere with password entry.
Email
You should be comfortable using email. This includes using basic email functions such as Reply, Reply All, Forward, and adding attachments.
Web Browser
You should have some experience using a web browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, or Google Chrome, if you prefer.

You should know how to recognize and use links, how to type in a URL, and how to read, verify, and correct a partial or inaccurate URL. You should be familiar with buttons like "forward" and "back" and know the importance of the "reload" (or "refresh") button, and know how to print web pages.

Academic Honesty Policy of Taft College: Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. Honesty and integrity are integral components of the academic process. Students are expected to be honest and ethical at all times in their pursuit of academic goals in accordance with West Kern Community College District Policy and Procedure 5500, Standards of Student Conduct. Any student found in violation of the policy will result in one or more of the following: “F” on the assignment, in the course, or suspension or expulsion from the college. All instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action. It can include:

• Plagiarism:

Representing the ideas of another as your own; not giving credit to the source for words presented as being your own work.

• Fabrication:

Faking the data in an academic exercise; presenting false information in an assignment; deliberately deviating from the truth.

•  Deception:

Giving fabricated information to an instructor in regard to academic work; providing a false reason for missing a deadline or lying about submitted work.

• Cheating:

Attempting to obtain an unfair academic advantage by violating accepted rules or standards.

• Sabotage:

Stopping others from completing their work; a deliberate act of destruction to academic materials or disrupting an experiment or assignment.

• You will be disciplined if you copy someone’s homework or any part of an assignment.
• You will be disciplined if you use someone’s homework or assignment to do your own paper or assignment.
• You will be disciplined for submitting a paper that was purchased through an Internet site, or which was submitted in any other class by someone else. This is true even if you make changes to the paper.
• You will be disciplined if you use anyone’s assignment as a model for your own.
• You will be disciplined if any assignment or portion of an assignment resembles closely that of another student (current or past).

Learning Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact DSP&S located in the Student Support Services/Administration Building or call 661-763-7769 as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

This course is arranged according to the information literacy framework adopted by the Association of College & research Libraries (ACRL). The six frames are provided below in alphabetical order for your reference. As you’ll notice, our schedule is themed according to these frames. For additional details, please refer to http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.

Authority is Constructed and Contextual

Information resources reflect their creator’s expertise and credibility, and are evaluated based on the information need and the context in which the information will be used. Authority is constructed in that various communities may recognize different types of authority. It is contextual in that the information need may help to determine the level of authority required.

Information Creation as Process

Information in any format is produced to convey a message and is shared via a selected delivery method. The iterative processes of researching, creating, revising, and disseminating information vary, and the resulting product reflects these differences.

Information has Value

Information possesses several dimensions of value, including as a commodity, as a means of education, as a means to influence, and as a means of negotiating and understanding the world. Legal and socioeconomic interests influence information production and dissemination.

Research as Inquiry

Research is iterative and depends upon asking increasingly complex or new questions whose answers in turn develop additional questions or lines of inquiry in any field.

Scholarship as Conversation

Communities of scholars, researchers, or professionals engage in sustained discourse with new insights and discoveries occurring over time as a result of varied perspectives and interpretations.

Searching as Strategic Exploration

Searching for information is often nonlinear and iterative, requiring the evaluation of a range of information sources and the mental flexibility to pursue alternate avenues as new understanding develops.

INCO 1048 Section 43- COURSE SYLLABUS

Fall 2017 – CRN 52740 – Information Competency and Bibliography

Due Dates Subject to Change.

 

Date	Discussion/Lesson	Assignment(s) Due Date
Week 1 August 21	Welcome to Taft College Library First Week-Introductions	Introduction Discussion Initial post due 08/26/17 Reply to posts 08/26/17. Lesson 0: Quiz 0 due 08/23/17 by 11:59 pm   Lesson 0: Fake News Discussion due 08/26/17 by11:59 pm
Week 2 August 27	Lesson One - General Canvas & Library Information    1. Policies    2. Procedures    3. Locations    4. Definitions Organization of Information 1. Library of Congress Subject Headings 2. Library of Congress Classification System	Lesson 1: Assignment 1 due 09/02/17 by11:59 pm
Week 3 September 3	Lesson Two Research Process 1. Research Paper 2. Plagiarism 3. Why Evaluate Sources of Information	Lesson 2.4: Plagiarism Discussion due 09/09/17 by 11:59 pm   Lesson 2.7: Research Topic Selection Assignment due 09/16/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 4 September 10	Lesson Three - Finding Books in the Library          1. Library of Congress Call Numbers	Lesson 3: Reading Quiz 3 due 09/23/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 3: Library Tour Discussion due 09/23/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 5 September 17	Lesson Four – Using the Online Library Catalog 1. My Account 2. Searching for Books	Lesson 4: Discussion Online Library due 09/30/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 4: Assignment 4 due 09/30/17 by 11:59 pm Assignment: Books Citations, Evaluations and Annotations due 10/07/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 6 September 24	Lesson Five - Databases	Lesson 5 Reading Quiz 5 due 10/14/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 5:Assignment 5   due 10/14/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 5: Uninhabitable Earth Discussion due 10/14/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 7 October 1	Lesson Six – Reference Resources Reference Sources
Week 8 October 8	Lesson Seven – Reference Resources 1. Encyclopedias 2. Dictionaries and Almanacs	Lesson 6 and 7 Reading Quiz due 10/21/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 6 and 7: Assignment 6 and 7 due 10/21/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 9 October 15	Lesson Eight and Nine 1. Biographical Sources	Lesson 8 and 9 Reading Quiz due 10/21/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 10 October 22	Lesson Ten 1. Magazines, Journals, Newspapers 2. Scholarly vs. Popular Journals	Lesson 10 Reading Quiz due 10/28/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 10: Discussion on Summarizing A Periodical Article due 10/28/17 by 11:59 pm Assignment: Periodicals Citations, Evaluations and Annotations due 10/28/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 11 October 29	Lesson Eleven Internet	Lesson 11 Reading Quiz due 11/04/17 by 11:59 pm Assignment 11 due 11/04/17 by 11:59 pm Lesson 11.7: C.R.A.A.P. Test discussion due 11/11/17 by 11:59 pm Assignment: Website Citation, Evaluation and Annotation due 11/11/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 12 November 5	Annotated Bibliography	Final Project: Annotated Bibliography due 12/02/17 by 11:59 pm
Week 18 December 10	Finals Week Dec 11 – Dec 15	Final Exam due December 13, 2017
	Lesson 0: Reading Quiz 0 You are now ready to take Quiz 0. Please log into Canvas and type this exact response in the answer box:   “I have read the syllabus and understand its contents and my responsibilities.”	Lesson 0: Quiz 0 due 08/23/2017 by 11:59 pm

Your lecturer reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus and assignments, quizzes, and discussions as deemed necessary.

Syllabus