![[Logo for Simmons GSLIS CE Moodle]](basics_files/logo_small.png){kind=logo}
Lessons
Weekly lesson texts are comprised of a set of three to seven web pages, one for each chapter of the lesson. Each lesson has links, and some have associated graphics of screenshots. It is not necessary to go through an entire lesson at one sitting, but each chapter page is designed to be read at one sitting. The lessons and chapters vary in length, depending on the topic.
All lessons are made available at the start of the course, so it is possible to read ahead of the schedule. Although this is only a one-month workshop, there is a fifth weekly lesson. There is no assignment for this final lesson, just a few additional reading topics.
Exercises/Assignments
Most lessons have assignments. If there are assignments, they appear at the bottom of a lesson file page. If there is something that could be submitted (as opposed to merely being read), the assignment is repeated as a distinct assignment file within the lesson week area.
Although you are not required to submit the assignments, you are welcome to submit them. To submit an assignment, you may either use the assignment file, or send a file that you have created as an e-mail attachment to the instructor. If you choose to use the lesson's assignment file, open the file, read the assignment, click on the button "Edit my submission," type in our answer in the space provided under the assignment description, and then click on "Save changes." You may revise your answer any time until the assignment deadline by clicking on "Edit my submission" again.
If you do not choose to submit assignments, I encourage you to at least read the assignment to consider and then to read the answer files, which I post following the assignment deadline date.
Although Moodle supports the grading of assignments, I will not be taking advantage of this feature, and your assignments will not be graded, since this is merely a continuing education workshop.
Discussion Forums
Discussion Forums are a part of this workshop. There is one discussion Forum for each lesson (labeled "Lesson 1 Discussion," "Lesson 2 Discussion," etc.), which is listed as a resource for the lesson's week. There is also a "Participant Introductions" discussion and "General Discussion Forum", both of which are near the top of the home page of the course.
To access a discussion forum, double-click on its hyperlinked title or the image icon (two faces facing each other) associated with discussion.
Each lesson has its own forum in order to group discussion topics by lesson topics, and each lesson week a new Discussion Forum will be opened. While you may work on assignments ahead, lesson discussion will not be permitted ahead of schedule. You are encouraged to post lesson comments and questions to the appropriate lesson forum first, prior to e-mailing the instructor directly, since other students might have similar issues. You may post to the appropriate Discussion Forum any comments or questions about any lesson at any time. You do not need to post on topics related to the current lesson or the immediate past lesson. Lingering questions to lessons several weeks behind are still welcome.
Please post questions to the Forum, rather than to me by direct e-mail, because then I can reply back to the Forum, and others can benefit from the answer.
For each lesson's Discussion Forum, you have the option of choosing whether to be "subscribed" or not. That means you can choose whether Forum posts also automatically go to your direct e-mail address, or you read the posts only on the Moodle site. The exception is the News Forum, in which only I send out messages, and you are all subscribed to that.
Software
Special software does not need to be purchased to complete the workshop. Rather, you should download a free demo version of one or more of the software tools listed in the "Thesaurus Software" block on the home page of the course, and discussed in detail in Lesson 2. In addition, individual log-in access to Synapatica will be provided by e-mail by the start of the second week. It is not necessary to download a demo prior to Lesson 2, but the software is listed in case you want to get a head start.
Readings
The required reading is ANSI/NISO Z39.19 (2005) Guidelines for Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies. It is available freely downloadable from this course web site as a PDF file. References to specific chapters will be provided within the lessons.
Highly recommend is the following new book:
Hedden, Heather (2010). The Accidental Taxonomist. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc. $39.50.
Also of possible interest, but more appropriate for knowledge managers working on enterprise taxonomies:
Lambe, Patrick (2007). Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness. Oxford, England: Chandos Publishing. $73.13 at current Amazon.com price.
Students who complete the workshop will receive by mail a certificate of completion from Simmons College Graduate School of Library & Information Science Continuing Education program (and additionally professional development points, if requested, for educators).
"Completion" is based on a "sufficient" amount of logging in and viewing the course files by the course ending date. As the instructor, I can monitor all student activity (log-ins) to the workshop site, including both dates and specific course pages and activities.
The course files will remain available for an additional week past the official end date.
Weekly lesson texts are comprised of a set of three to seven web pages, one for each chapter of the lesson. Each lesson has links, and some have associated graphics of screenshots. It is not necessary to go through an entire lesson at one sitting, but each chapter page is designed to be read at one sitting. The lessons and chapters vary in length, depending on the topic.
All lessons are made available at the start of the course, so it is possible to read ahead of the schedule. Although this is only a one-month workshop, there is a fifth weekly lesson. There is no assignment for this final lesson, just a few additional reading topics.
Exercises/Assignments
Most lessons have assignments. If there are assignments, they appear at the bottom of a lesson file page. If there is something that could be submitted (as opposed to merely being read), the assignment is repeated as a distinct assignment file within the lesson week area.
Although you are not required to submit the assignments, you are welcome to submit them. To submit an assignment, you may either use the assignment file, or send a file that you have created as an e-mail attachment to the instructor. If you choose to use the lesson's assignment file, open the file, read the assignment, click on the button "Edit my submission," type in our answer in the space provided under the assignment description, and then click on "Save changes." You may revise your answer any time until the assignment deadline by clicking on "Edit my submission" again.
If you do not choose to submit assignments, I encourage you to at least read the assignment to consider and then to read the answer files, which I post following the assignment deadline date.
Although Moodle supports the grading of assignments, I will not be taking advantage of this feature, and your assignments will not be graded, since this is merely a continuing education workshop.
Discussion Forums
Discussion Forums are a part of this workshop. There is one discussion Forum for each lesson (labeled "Lesson 1 Discussion," "Lesson 2 Discussion," etc.), which is listed as a resource for the lesson's week. There is also a "Participant Introductions" discussion and "General Discussion Forum", both of which are near the top of the home page of the course.
To access a discussion forum, double-click on its hyperlinked title or the image icon (two faces facing each other) associated with discussion.
Each lesson has its own forum in order to group discussion topics by lesson topics, and each lesson week a new Discussion Forum will be opened. While you may work on assignments ahead, lesson discussion will not be permitted ahead of schedule. You are encouraged to post lesson comments and questions to the appropriate lesson forum first, prior to e-mailing the instructor directly, since other students might have similar issues. You may post to the appropriate Discussion Forum any comments or questions about any lesson at any time. You do not need to post on topics related to the current lesson or the immediate past lesson. Lingering questions to lessons several weeks behind are still welcome.
Please post questions to the Forum, rather than to me by direct e-mail, because then I can reply back to the Forum, and others can benefit from the answer.
For each lesson's Discussion Forum, you have the option of choosing whether to be "subscribed" or not. That means you can choose whether Forum posts also automatically go to your direct e-mail address, or you read the posts only on the Moodle site. The exception is the News Forum, in which only I send out messages, and you are all subscribed to that.
Software
Special software does not need to be purchased to complete the workshop. Rather, you should download a free demo version of one or more of the software tools listed in the "Thesaurus Software" block on the home page of the course, and discussed in detail in Lesson 2. In addition, individual log-in access to Synapatica will be provided by e-mail by the start of the second week. It is not necessary to download a demo prior to Lesson 2, but the software is listed in case you want to get a head start.
Readings
The required reading is ANSI/NISO Z39.19 (2005) Guidelines for Construction, Format, and Management of Monolingual Controlled Vocabularies. It is available freely downloadable from this course web site as a PDF file. References to specific chapters will be provided within the lessons.
Highly recommend is the following new book:
Hedden, Heather (2010). The Accidental Taxonomist. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc. $39.50.
Also of possible interest, but more appropriate for knowledge managers working on enterprise taxonomies:
Lambe, Patrick (2007). Organising Knowledge: Taxonomies, Knowledge and Organisational Effectiveness. Oxford, England: Chandos Publishing. $73.13 at current Amazon.com price.
Students who complete the workshop will receive by mail a certificate of completion from Simmons College Graduate School of Library & Information Science Continuing Education program (and additionally professional development points, if requested, for educators).
"Completion" is based on a "sufficient" amount of logging in and viewing the course files by the course ending date. As the instructor, I can monitor all student activity (log-ins) to the workshop site, including both dates and specific course pages and activities.
The course files will remain available for an additional week past the official end date.