Perspectives on Computer Mediation • Spring 2008


Course Syllabus

instructor information

Professor: Elizabeth Lane Lawley
Office: 70-2545
Phone: 585-475-6896
Email: ell at mail dot rit dot edu
Office Hours: MW 2-4pm

textbooks and readings

There are no required textbooks for this class. Instead, I will be assigning readings from the web, and from various electronic resources provided through the Wallace Library.

important rit deadlines

Last day of add/drop is March 17, 2008.

Last day to withdraw with a grade of “W” is May 2 (the end of the 8th week of the quarter).

NOTE: IT department policy states that a student has one quarter to challenge any grade. After that, grades cannot be challenged.

course description

This course examines the design and implementation of software for computer mediation from several perspectives: the computer support for cooperative work (CSCW) perspective addresses activity and organization management, the computer-mediated collaboration (CMC) perspective addresses social systems for computing, and the computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) perspective addresses collaborative and constructivist learning systems. Students will investigate the design and implementation of computer mediated experiences across several domains, including, but not limited to: social computing, pervasive and ubiquitous computing, computer-based learning environments, entertainment and gaming systems, as well as visualization and simulation systems. Students will be required to work in teams to create a large-scale computer mediated project.

course goals and objectives

The goal of this course is to provide an overview of existing research in CSCW, and to critically examine collaborative and groupware technologies currently in use.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Identify and describe influential research and researchers in the field of computer mediated interaction
  • Identify, describe, and critically analyze current computer mediated interaction technologies

prerequisites

The prerequisites for this class are 4004-730 and 4004-745, as well as a willingness to do reading, research, and writing on a graduate level.

grading

Grades will be based on the following, all of which are discussed in more detail in the assignments section of this site:

  • Class Participation: 20%
    I expect you to attend class and participate in discussions--both in the classroom and on the class blog.
  • Weekly Reviews: 20%
    Each week, you should write a one-page review of a required reading, and a one-page review of an additional reading on one of the topics for that week. The second reading can be, but does not have to be, from a peer-reviewed journal or conference. It could also be an online essay or blog post, a book or book chapter, or even an in-depth newspaper article. However, it should have some analytical content--a short news item describing a new software package, for example, would not be appropriate. When in doubt, ask me. These reviews should be submitted to the dropbox for the week, no later than Friday at noon.
  • Midterm Exam: 20%
    The midterm will be a take-home essay question exam, which you will have one week to complete. I will send out the midterm exam at the end of week 5.
  • Final Project: 40%
    You will have two choices for your major project for the quarter.
    • The research and writing option requires you to complete an in-depth literature review of one topic related to the course material. You should submit your topic for approval no later than the end of the second week of the quarter. The literature review should be more than just a bibliography--it should include detailed reviews and analysis of the works you choose, and should cover the range of resources available on that topic.
    • If you would prefer to work with a group doing development, you can instead develop a design document for a computer-mediated interaction tool, and implement a prototype of that tool. All students who do not choose the literature review will work together on this implementation.
    Details on both options will be posted in the Assignments section of the website.

Please note that the grade received for work that meets all assigned criteria is a "B". An "A" is reserved for work that clearly demonstrates MASTERY of the material, and an in-depth knowledge of the underlying theories. Late work will lose half a letter grade (5/100 points) per day.

academic honesty policy

Please review the IT department and RIT policies on academic dishonesty.

I will not tolerate plagiarism of any kind in this class. Students who are found to have plagiarized material will be failed not just for the assignment, but for the entire class (and will not be allowed to withdraw).

If you're uncertain as to what constitutes plagiarism, I strongly encourage you to review any or all of these resources: