UIUC LIS 404/UM SILS 529

Sources of General Information

Welcome to UIUC LIS 404/UM SILS 529. We are Judy Weedman, your University of Illinois instructor, and Maurita Peterson Holland, at the University of Michigan.

Distance Education Prototype

This course employs a number of audio and video conferencing technology along with collaborative tools to support work at both institutions. For a look at our classrooms, facilities, hardware/software, and technical support team, please see our technologies used .

Kellogg CRISTALED Project

This course is supported in part by a five-year grant from the Kellogg Foundation to the University of Michigan for re-inventing the library and information studies curriculum for the 90's and beyond. The CRISTALED (Kellogg Coalition on Reinventing Information Science, Technology and Library Education) program objectives are described in a series of documents.

Course Business

You'll find everything here that you'll need to get started in our class. First you may want to see who our UM and UIUC class members are. Then, check our syllabus and also the assignments . Also see our HyperNews discussion.

We'll be working from a set of sources in both print and electronic form. The print-based resources are found in the sources file. The file is drawn from sources described in the course text, Richard Bopp and Linda Smith, Reference and information service: an introduction. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1991.

Electronic information resources are accessible through a wide variety of networked tools and services. However, we need to gain an understanding of these tools and services before we can explore the individual resources. We have developed a collection of descriptions and tutorials to equip you for Net exploration.

Evaluation and Completed Projects

Evaluation of this course was on-going throughout the term. An extensive evaluation document provides both student and faculty assessment of the course and its assignments. Also included are some links to representative final Web projects.

Course Description

This course will include the nature, evaluation, and use of basic bibliographies, dictionaries, directories, handbooks, indexes, and yearbooks, as well as reference works for statistical and biographical data, in a variety of print, electronic, and other formats.

Objectives

Course Objectives:

develop familiarity with basic core of general sources of information
develop skills in the evaluation, selection, and use of sources including effective search strategy
develop an understanding of how reference sources are accessed and users are educated to their use
consider the changing nature of reference sources as information migrates into digital formats and delivery
recognize the importance of grounding service and resource decisions in assessed individual and community needs.
explore the role of collaboration in the provision of information resources and services; evaluate the functionality of several collaborative technologies

Broader Objectives:
explore shared teaching by faculty located at a distance
explore partnering students on two campuses
test use of video/audio/text-based delivery mechanism and consider how each may be applicable to a range of learning experiences (e.g., classroom lecture, group work, one-on-one meetings with faculty, group discussion, etc.)
migrate course to anytime, anyplace status through development of various digitally-based modules
evaluate the effectiveness of technology-based instruction

URL: http://www.sils.umich.edu/~mholland/class/joint/introjoint.html

mholland@umich.edu (6/16/95)