Lib 48: About the Class, Assignments, and Grading Scheme

About the class:

With the exception of two meetings scheduled in the hotel conference hall, all instructional hours are spent in the field. As a student of Information Studies, your task will be to become a participant-observer through excursions and interactions with the locals. You will select a critical lens to apply to your observations, compare/contrast life in Armenia and U.S. (you become the primary source of this experience!), and learn how the dissemination of information, misinformation, and disinformation impacts society.

We will spend two intensive weeks together, get to know each other, and look out for each other in a way that makes us a family. We will learn together and from each other. Maybe even make lifelong friends!

Our typical day will start after breakfast at the hotel. We will board the bus in front of the hotel for our daily excursions at 10am and typically be back by 3-5pm. In the evenings, you are free to do as you will, or join your peers/instructors on their adventures. In the evenings, we normally stroll the neighborhood, go out to dinner, opera, theater, jazz clubs, night clubs, or meet up at the local cafe to talk about our day.

We have one long day during our 4 night excursion out of Yerevan. We’ll spend a day at Noy Land Resort at Lake Sevan and head to Dilijan for two nights, then Gyumri for two more nights before we return to Yerevan.

You have two free days you may plan as you like. There is a long list of places we won’t have a chance to visit; you may select something you didn’t want to miss and invite your peers, or join someone else’s group, or relax and enjoy the hotel amenities.

No assigned textbook. All materials will be made available via Canvas.

Grading

Contract grading - you decide what grade you want to earn (see grading scheme below)

Homework
* 2-6 Reflections (one-paragraph responses)

* Group Presentation - select a destination from the list, visit it as a group (take lots of photos!), and prepare a brief presentation to present to the class on our last day (3-5 minutes)

Lib 48 - Contract Grading	P/C	B	A
Reflections 1	X	X	X
Reflections 2		X	X
Reflections 3		X	X
Reflections 4			X
Reflections 5			X
Reflections 6	X	X	X
Project/Presentation	X	X	X

Information Studies - Key Terms

Information vs. data

Misinformation

Disinformation

Censorship

Authority

Primary vs. secondary sources

What Is Participant Observation?

Participant observation is a research method where the researcher immerses themself in a particular social setting or group, observing the behaviors, interactions, and practices of the participants. This can be a valuable method for any research project that seeks to understand the experiences of individuals or groups in a particular social context.

In participant observation, the researcher is called a participant-observer, meaning that they participate in the group’s activities while also observing the group’s behavior and interactions. There is flexibility in the level of participation, ranging from non-participatory (the weakest) to complete participation (the strongest but most intensive.) The goal here is to gain a deep understanding of the group’s culture, beliefs, and practices from an “insider” perspective.
Source: https://www.scribbr.com March 10, 2023 by Tegan George.

Which critical lens (or lenses) will you use?

Personal lens - how is it familiar to or different than your life? how has it increased your interest? how has it changed your worldview?
Socio-economic lens - social structures, demographics
Gender lens - gender-related issues or attitudes toward gender; how are gender stereotypes reinforced or undermined?
Race, heritage, ethnicity - what is considered 'normative" and how are "others" portrayed? how is cultural conflict dealt with?