Info 310 Home

Schedule

Reading List

Presentations
 May 13
 May 18
  May 20
   May 27 
   June 1 
    June 3 

Grading
Standards

Other Important Information

Spring 2004

  Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30-3:20 PM    Location:  EE1 003

email: harryb@u.washington.edu    office: MGH 370

Teaching Assistant: Kristene Unsworth

email: kruns@u.washington.edu

office hours: Fridays 12:00 to 1:00 - MGH 416

phone: 221-6402

Graduate Assistant: Hayden Bass

email: hbass@u.washington.edu

Course listserve: info310a_sp04@u.washington.edu
 

Course Overview

This course examines human information behavior.  It analyzes how individuals need, seek, evaluate, use and give information in different contexts, with the purpose of designing effective and responsive information systems and services.  It focuses on the social, cognitive, affective, behavioral and organizational aspects of information systems.  It introduces the basic concepts and research methods that underpin how information specialists study information behavior.  It concentrates particularly on how findings from studies of information behavior can be used to inform and improve the design of information systems.  The course provides theoretical and practical frameworks for professionals who wish to design and evaluate information systems and services based on user-centered approaches.

Objectives

In this course students will:

• Critically examine a number of paradigms or frameworks for studying information behavior.

• Understand several basic concepts used by information scientists to study the relationships and the interactions between people and information.  

• Understand the factors that may predict or influence a user's search for, use of, and perceptions of information, information products, services and systems.

• Be introduced to research methods that can be used to study information behavior.

• Learn how to get informed about the information behavior of individuals.

• Get familiar with patterns of information behavior of specific groups.

• Have the opportunity to consider how findings from information behavior studies can inform the improvement and design of information systems and services.

• Be introduced to a number of information scientists who have shaped the discipline's views on the study of information behavior.

Readings

Articles are available on U.W. Library's Electronic Reserves.

Assignments

The grade is distributed in the following way:                                    Due dates:

• Model comparison assignment:      35%                                        April 13

• Web site evaluation assignment:    25%                                         May 20

• Group presentation:                          40%                                         TBA