Description of assignment: To do this assignment, you need to find and analyze (yes, both find AND analyze) examples of surrogation and aggregation in some specific contexts: 1) the WebLUIS online catalog; 2) amazon.com; and 3) a context of your choice.
1) In the WebLUIS catalog (you must use the Florida State University Library Catalog), conduct a Keyword search using terms you select for a topic of interest to you. Conduct a Subject search using the same terms. Write a comparison of the groups of results (the aggregates) you get when you do those two searches. Now, look at the individual records (the surrogates) of the first five results from each search. What kinds of things do you see in common across the records? (e.g. do they all have the same field labels? What are they? Why are those important?). Can you explain why these surrogates were aggregated by the search you performed?
2) Using amazon.com, you will find many mechanisms for aggregating items, and quite a few efforts at surrogation. (I’ve written this assignment using the amazon.com bookstore, but if you would like to tackle another of the amazon.com stores, please do feel free! If you decide to do so and you need help, don’t hesitate to come to me for help: I love to help adventurers!)
Anyway, for example, items are aggregated by: “Buy this book with ...” “Customers who bought this book also bought ...” “So you’d like to ...” “Listmania!” and “Look for similar books by subject,” and I know there are more. Items are surrogated by “Product details”, “Look inside this book”, and the initial description of the items, and I’m sure you have identified more. Pick two of the methods of aggregation and compare them. Now look at the individual records (surrogates) of the first five items from any two aggregates (for example, one list from Listmania and one list of books by subject; or one list from So you’d like to ... and one list from Customers who bought ...). What kinds of things do you seen in common across the records? How were the features of surrogation used in the aggregation process?
3) Pick an information resource of your choice. It can be electronic or not, web-based or not. Using what you have already discovered by doing parts 1) and 2) of this assignment, explore the issues of surrogation and aggregation in this information resource. Write about them, using the questions from parts 1) and 2) as a guide. This is your time to explore and to express yourself, but don’t forget also to continue to draw upon the course readings, lectures, exercises, and any outside material that you think is relevant.
In-class preparation: In class, as part of your class participation, you’ll hand in the list of search terms you’re going to use for part 1); the mechanisms you’ll be using in amazon.com as well as the item you’ll use as a starting point for 2); and the resource you’ll be using for part 3) with a description of it and a tentative idea of what you might write about. If for some reason you are absent when we do this part, you will still need to hand this in BEFORE you start on the assignment; otherwise, you won’t get a grade for the whole assignment.
What you need to hand in: This paper should be 6-9 pages long (this page length assumes 11-point 1.5 space proportional font; you may use other parameters, but adjust the page length accordingly). It should be in flowing prose, not an outline form. It should NOT have an introduction, though you may write a conclusion if you’d like (and I encourage you to do so, especially if at the end of the assignment you have some comments you’d like to make that are addressed to all three parts or to the issues of surrogation and aggregation in general). Each part should take between 2 and 3 pages. If you are coming up short, look again and really think. If you are stuck, see me. It is acceptable if the paper is more than 9 pages.
Important note: Though this may seem incredible to you, I can actually tell the difference between adding *words* and adding *thoughts*. Don't add words. If you are coming up short on the number of pages, just hand it in. Do NOT shovel in more words. I will allow you to hand in a supplement to your paper later, based on the feedback I provide to you the first time around. The EASIEST way, therefore, to keep from getting behind is to hand me a draft 3 days early. That way I can suggest meaningful topics for you to address to make your paper more complete.
What my gradesheet will look like:
Description of assignment: To do this assignment, you’ll need to find 10 information entities of your choosing and write about their form, their content, and their intellectual attributes. At the end, you’ll synthesize some of your findings.
1) Collect 10 information entities in any form at all. They can all be very different, or you can pick a homogeneous group; it’s up to you. Take each item and judging it alone (without considering the other 9 things) write down what you think are its form, its content, and its main intellectual attributes.
2) Look at your list of items and what you’ve written down for their form, content, and intellectual attributes. Look at the 10 (or more?) things you’ve written down under “form.” How are they similar? How are they different? Look at the 10 (or more?) things you’ve written down under “content.” How are they similar? Different? Look at the 10 (probably many more!) things you’ve written down under “intellectual attributes.” How are they similar? Different?
In-class preparation: In class, as part of your class participation, you’ll need to hand in a list of the ten information entities you plan to use for this assignment. If for some reason you are absent when we do this part, you will still need to hand this in BEFORE you start on the assignment; otherwise, you won’t get a grade for the whole assignment.
What you need to hand in: Part 1) of the assignment can take the form of a table if you’d like. Part 2) should be written in flowing prose. The whole assignment should be between 5 and 8 pages long (this page length assumes 11-point 1.5 space proportional font; you may use other parameters, but adjust the page length accordingly). It should NOT have an introduction, though you may write a conclusion if you’d like (and I encourage you to do so, especially if at the end of the assignment you have some comments you’d like to make that are addressed to both parts or to issues of form, content, and intellectual attributes in general). If you are coming up short, look again and really think. If you are stuck, see me. It is acceptable if the paper is more than 8 pages.
Important note: Though this may seem incredible to you, I can actually tell the difference between adding *words* and adding *thoughts*. Don't add words. If you are coming up short on the number of pages, just hand it in. Do NOT shovel in more words. I will allow you to hand in a supplement to your paper later, based on the feedback I provide to you the first time around. The EASIEST way, therefore, to keep from getting behind is to hand me a draft 3 days early. That way I can suggest meaningful topics for you to address to make your paper more complete.
What my gradesheet will look like:
Description of assignment: To do this assignment, you'll need to write about an example of an information interaction, a detailed description of a mental model for a different type of information interaction, and what happens when a user with that mental model tries to complete the information interaction.
1) Write about a specific information interaction. This should be detailed, like a short story, and give specifics about people, locations, times, settings, and activities.
2) Develop a mental model for a different type of information interaction. This should draw upon the framework provided by the McDaniel reading.
3) Write a careful analysis of what would happen if an end-user who had that mental model tried to do the information interaction according to the mental model.
Reminder: This is a good time for me to remind you (again!!!!) to be sure, please, to adhere to the rules for gradable work, which a) were provided to you on the first day of class via the handout with the URL to the course syllabus, b) have been available in the online syllabus throughout the semester, c) were discussed at length and in detail in class before you handed in Assignment 1, and d) were handed out again when I returned Assignment 1 to you. These rules for gradable work, which you saw and/or heard at least three times BEFORE you handed in Assignment 1 (and at least once afterward), clearly and explicitly state that your paper absolutely must have subheadings within the paper (so that should NEVER at any point have been a surprise to you), AND also clearly and explicitly state that when you integrate any materials including readings, outside readings, and lectures into your papers that they must be referenced within the paper AND a complete citation provided (so again, that should NEVER at any point have been a surprise to you) ... (in addition to telling you what heading information you need to put on your paper!). Just a reminder!
In-class preparation: In class, you will select and hand in an information interaction and a mental model to use for this paper.
What you need to hand in: Part one should take 1-1.5 pages, part two should take 1-1.5 pages, and part three should take 2-3 pages. You'll therefore want to hand in a total of 4-6 pages. This page length assumes 11-point 1.5 space proportional font and includes the always-required headings, subheadings, and bibliography. You may use other parameters, but adjust the page length accordingly. It should NOT have an introduction, though you may write a conclusion if you’d like (and I encourage you to do so, especially if at the end of the assignment you have some comments you’d like to make that are addressed to all three parts or to issues of mental models in general). If you are coming up short, look again and really think. If you are stuck, see me. It is acceptable if the paper is more than 6 pages.
As always, if you hand me a draft 3 days before the assignment is due, I am happy to copy edit it for you. Email is fine for handing in a draft.
What my gradesheet will look like:
This assignment is a bit more “free-form” than the previous ones. You will need to draw upon your personal experiences to write the paper.
1) Think of two or three times in your life that you’ve needed help interpreting an information representation or retrieval system. Why did you need help? Who helped you? How would the system need to change so that you didn’t need any help? How would YOU need to change so that you didn’t need any help? If no one helped you, what would you have wanted someone to do to help? If someone did help you, how could that help have been improved?
Be careful writing part 1): the assignment asks for constructive rather than critical thinking!
2) Think of a use of information representation or retrieval that you do without intermediation, frequently. What had to happen in order for you to be able to do that? Is it truly disintermediated? Explain.
3) Take a big broad utopian/dystopian view of the future: tell me what you think (based of course on what we’ve learned in this class, not just your random opinions) are the issues associated with the future of mediated and of disintermediated information systems and their users.
In-class preparation: In class, you’ll hand in your personal examples for part 1) and part 2). If for some reason you are absent when we do this part, you will still need to hand this in BEFORE you start on the assignment; otherwise, you won’t get a grade for the whole assignment.
What you need to hand in: For part 1), you need to hand in two or three careful discussions using the questions asked, about 3-4 pages. For part 2), you should write a careful discussion using the questions asked, about 1-3 pages. For part 3), you should write a careful discussion as per the assignment, about 3-4 pages. The whole assignment should be between 9 and 11 pages long (this page length assumes 11-point 1.5 space proportional font; you may use other parameters, but adjust the page length accordingly). It should not have an introduction, though you may write a conclusion if you’d like (and I encourage you to do so, especially if at the end of the assignment you have some comments you’d like to make that are addressed to all three parts or to issues of (dis)intermediation in general). If you are coming up short, look again and really think. If you are stuck, see me. It is acceptable if the paper is more than 11 pages.
Important note: Though this may seem incredible to you, I can actually tell the difference between adding *words* and adding *thoughts*. Don't add words. If you are coming up short on the number of pages, just hand it in. Do NOT shovel in more words. I will allow you to hand in a supplement to your paper later, based on the feedback I provide to you the first time around. The EASIEST way, therefore, to keep from getting behind is to hand me a draft 3 days early. That way I can suggest meaningful topics for you to address to make your paper more complete.
What my gradesheet will look like: