Here is an overview of how this course has been taught in the past.  In future semesters the structure may be different. 

Course Objectives

Students will develop an:

• understanding of practical and conceptual underpinnings of the users' perspective of information seeking and use.
• understanding of theories and research issues in information science and librarianship related to designing and implementing user centered services
• ability to design services to accommodate the process of learning from a variety of sources through a wide range of innovative strategies

Organization of the Course

The course is organized in three modules:

Module I - User centered services - Practical and conceptual underpinnings

This module introduces students to the practical concepts of information seeking in information rich environments. Opportunities for creativity and innovation are explored along with problems of saturation and overload. The information seeking process is considered within the context of students' own information seeking and analyzed within the context of work, citizenship, education, and daily living.

Module II - Theoretical perspectives and research issues

The second module concentrates on theoretical perspectives underlying information services including constructivist vs. transmission approaches and process vs. source orientations. Basic traditional services and systems are analyzed within the context of recent research and emerging theories, such as sensemaking, constructing, and adding value. Concepts for developing new approaches to intervention are studied.

Module III - Designing user centered services

In the third module students are introduced to a variety of strategies for user centered services and guided in designing interventions to address the active process of learning from a variety of sources for users in a variety of communities of practice. Development of goals, objectives, plans of action and evaluation of impact are addressed for designing user centered information services and systems.

Major Assignments

Texts: Kuhlthau, C. C. Seeking Meaning: a Process Approach to Library and Information Services Ablex, 1993.

Assigned Readings: See bibliography--Course pack available.

Three major assignments are required to be handed in as written papers and summarized for class discussion.

Assignment 1: Information Seeking Tasks - In a short paper (5-10 pages) describe a community of practice within the context of work, citizenship, education or daily living. Identify information seeking tasks in which individuals within that community are engaged. Consider Allen's Information Tasks as a framework for organizing your paper.~ 25% of grade.

Assignment 2: Field Observation - Identify the information service and sources available to the community of practice. Gather data about their use of services and sources by observation or some other means. Prepare a written report of your observations. Consider the levels of intervention and strategies for mediation available to your user group. You may refer to levels of intervention described in Seeking Meaning.~ 25% of grade.

Assignment 3: User Centered Information Service Plan - Identify and describe a community of practice, the individual's within that community, the information tasks in which they are engaged and the problems they encounter, summarized from your first two papers. Design a series of interventions to accommodate the active process of learning and constructing of that group of users to support the tasks they are striving to accomplish. Define goals, objectives, a plan of action, evaluation of impact of the user centered service using Durrance's Job Seekers and Career Changers as a model.~ 50% of grade.

Barry, C. (1994). User-defined relevance criteria: an exploratory study. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 45, 149-159.

Bates, M. J. (1989). The design of browsing and berry picking techniques for the online search interface. Online Review , 13, 407-424.

Bates, M. J. (1986). Subject access in online catalogs: a design model. Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 37, 357-376.

Bates, M. J. (1979). Idea tactics. Journal of the American Society for Information Science. 30, 280-289.

Belkin, N. K. (1990). The cognitive viewpoint in information science. Journal of Information Science. 16, 11-15.

Carr, D. W. (1990). Living on one's horizons: cultural institutions and life long learning. School Library Media Quarterly, 19, 217-222.

Dervin, B. and Dewdney, P. (1986). Neutral questioning: a new approach to the reference interview. Reference Quarterly, Summer, 506-513.

Dervin, B. and Nilan, M. (1986). Information needs and uses. Annual Review of Information Science and Technology 21, 3-33.

Durrance, J. C. (1995). Factors that influence reference success: what makes questioners willing to return? Reference Librarian 49, 243-265.

Durrance, J. C. (1994). Serving Job Seekers and Career Changers: A Planning Manual for Public Librarians New York: Neal Schuman.

Ellis, D. (1989). A behavioral approach to information retrieval system design. Journal of Documentation 45, 171-212.

Kuhlthau, C. (1993). Implementing a process approach to information skills: a study identifying indicators of success in library media programs. School Library Media Quarterly 22, 11-18.

Michel, D. A. (1994). What is used during cognitive processing in information retrieval and library searching? Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 45, 498-514.

Morris, R. C. T. (1994). Toward a user-centered information service. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 45, 20-30.

Saracevic, T. and Kantor, P. (1997). Studying the value of library and information services. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 48(6), 543- 563.

Schon, D. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. New York: Basic Books.

Solomon, P. (1997). Discovering Information Behavior in Sense Making. Journal of the American Society for Information Science 48(12) 1097-1108.

Taylor, Robert. (1991) Information Use Environments. Progress in Communication Science Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Taylor, R. S. (1968). Question negotiation and information seeking in libraries. College and Research Libraries, 29, 178-194.