INFM 737: Solving Problems in Information Management
(Capstone Experience)
Dr. Susan J. Winter
2123B Hornbake Bldg, South Wing
Office Hours: By Appointment
"[W]hat Turing grasped better than most of his followers is that the characteristic sign of the ability to think is not giving correct answers, but responsive ones -- replies that show an understanding of the remarks that prompted them. If we are to regard an interlocutor as a thinking being, his responses need to be autonomous; to think is to think for yourself. The belief that a hidden entity is thinking depends heavily on the words he addresses to us being not re-hashings of the words we just said to him, but words we did not use or think of ourselves -- words that are not derivative but original."
- From The Trouble with the Turing Test
Course Description
Expertise – as the basis for your contribution to an organization, it is key to making your next career move; as a basis for credibility, it is core to your ability to develop and implement IT enabled solutions to business problems; as a basis for influence and power, it is central to your ability to be a leader. Becoming an expert in your area of specialization is foundational to your career progress and success.
Yet, it has been said that it takes 10 years of sustained effort to become an expert. Why? What is different about experts? Is it just a matter of knowing more or are there other ways that experts are different than novices? If so, what are the differences and how can you develop and document those capabilities?
A primary goal of Master of Information Management is to improve your understanding of what it takes to be an expert and facilitate your development as an expert in your area of specialization – and in doing so to accelerate your efforts to move toward your career goals.
The Capstone Experience (INFM 737) provides you with additional opportunities to develop different aspects of your expertise. Through a variety of readings, assignments, and activities you will learn about the nature of expertise (in general and in Information Management). You will also develop the knowledge and abilities you need to be an expert within a given industry and IM specialization.
Course Materials
The assignments for this course require you to do extensive research on your own. For these projects you will need to use many of the resources provided by the UMD library system. For additional information about Library resources, contact the iSchool’s Subject Librarian, Karen Patterson ().
Course administrative documents, assignment descriptions, and supplemental readings, will be accessible in the class ELMS site.
Homework Assignments
The readings and discussions in the course will expose you to different perspectives, practices, and issues associated with IM expertise. While on one hand, being an expert might seem straightforward (“Experts know more than other people about something”), on closer examination you will see that expertise has as much (or more) to do with howyou apply the knowledge you have and what people perceive that you know. This class is designed to refine your knowledge and develop your abilities to problem-solve, learn, and communicate as an IS expert.
The homework assignments are designed to provide you with opportunities to exercise different aspect of IMexpertise. They include:
Assignment 1: Professional Profile
Assignment 2: Professional Development Plan
Assignment 3: Project Proposal- Definition, Scope, and Motivation
Assignment 4: Project Foundations – Current Knowledge
Assignment 5: Organizational Analysis
Assignment 6: Technology Analysis
Assignment 7: Project Deliverables – Outcomes, Recommendations, and Contributions
The instructions for each assignment will be distributed through the course ELMS site ( Each assignment is to be turned in both electronically prior to class and on paper at class time. The paper copy will be used to provide feedback for you.
Presenting Your Work
For the course assignments, you will be developing poster presentations (6-8 PowerPoint slides) that describe your professional development plan, an industry profile, a firm profile, an IM issue, and your contribution to addressing that issue. You will use these posters to present your work to colleagues in order to get their feedback and suggestions.
Participation
"Each one of you will make the community either better or worse. Everything you do will have an influence upon others. It can be a good influence or a bad one. It depends on you."
- From The Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton
This class will be conducted as a seminar. Hence, it is important that you prepare for and actively participate in the classroom discussions. Your participation grade will be based on two components: activity completion and discussion contribution. The activities in class are designed to help you engage with the concepts and methods we will be discussing each week. Participating in those activities is a key element in the course.
Your discussion participation will be evaluated on quality – not just quantity – of comments. In addition, participation is evaluated on whether you added to the discussion, whether you maintain the continuity of the discussion (versus going off on tangents), and whether your comments reflect an understanding of the material. In particular, you should come to class able to describe and discuss the materials that you developed for the homework assignment.
Please talk to me if you have any concerns or questions about your class participation.
Grades
In this class, an "✔+" denotes outstanding performance, a "✔" denotes good performance, and a "✔-" denotes unremarkable performance.
Overall grades for this course will be based on:
AssignmentsPoster Presentations (4 pts each) / 28
Class Presentation and Participation (3 pts each) / 24
Project Deliverables
Description & Contract Letter
Status Reports/Project Updates (2)
Final Deliverable / 10
16
22
TOTAL / 100
For INFM 737 you will receive a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grade. If you earn 80 or more points you will receive a Satisfactory (S), otherwise you will receive an Unsatisfactory (U).
While it is not the policy of this class to force grades to match a particular distribution, the standards described typically result in a grade distribution consistent with the UMD grading policies.
Classroom Computer Use
You are welcome to use notebook computers to take notes as long as it does not hinder your ability to actively participate in the class discussion. There may be times, such as when we are examining software, industry data, or firms, where having a computer in class is helpful for following the material. However, when it is indicated that computers will not be needed – for example, during a guest speaker’s presentation – you are expected to close your machines.
Late work
A 10% penalty will be deducted for each day or part of a day that an assignment is late. Please prepare in advance so that you will not encounter technical difficulties that will result in your work receiving a late penalty. If you have a conflict with the due date, assignments can always be submitted early.
Students with disabilities
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact me and Disability Support Services (301-314-7682), as early as possible in the term, but not later than the second week of class. Disability Support Services will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.
Academic Integrity
The University of Maryland, College Park has a nationally recognized Code of Academic Integrity, administered by the Student Honor Council. This Code sets standards for academic integrity at Maryland for all undergraduate and graduate students. As a student you are responsible for upholding these standards for this course. It is very important for you to be aware of the consequences of cheating, fabrication, facilitation, and plagiarism. For more information on the Code of Academic Integrity or the Student Honor Council, please visit
Class Session Topics and Assignments
Date
/Topic
/Homework Due
Week 1
/January23rd
/ Getting StartedWeek 2
/January30th
/ What is an Expert? / Assignment 1: Professional Profile (Background and Goals)Week 3
/February 6th
/ Becoming an Expert /Assignment 2: Professional Development Plan
Week 4
/February13th
Week 5
/February20th
/ Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities /Assignment 3: Project Proposal – Definition, Scope, and Motivation
Week 6
/February27th
Week 7
/March6th
/ Using Research /Assignment 4: Project Foundations – Current Knowledge
Week 8
/March 13th
March 20th
/ ***Spring Break***Week 9
/March 27th
/ Engaging an Sector an Organization / Assignment 5: Sector and Organization AnalysisWeek 10
/April 3rd
Week 11
/April 10th
/ Engaging a Technology / Assignment 6: Technology AnalysisWeek 12
/April17th
Week 13
/April 24th
Week 14
/May 1st
/ Taking a Position: Contributing to your Field /Assignment 7: Project Deliverables – Outcomes, Recommendations, and Contributions
Week 15
/May 8th
In addition to the scheduled class sessions you are also expected to participate in the iSchool Experiential Learning Expoon May6th, 4:30-6pm and invite your project sponsor to attend.
THIS SYLLABUS AND SCHEDULE MAY CHANGE.
ALL CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS.
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