Hint: Read all class materials carefully and notify Dr. Loggins if you have any questions or trouble finding something.

Weekly Overview:

Getting Started: I hope you do enjoy getting started this week!  For this week, be sure to review available class materials, become familiar with them, and become familiar with all of our class policies.

You should have come to this page after reviewing the welcome page under Course Info and after reviewing your materials in Blackboard (Bb). Once you have the gist of what to expect, you should read the assigned chapter and utilize the included materials to start grappling with social scientific research methods in Informatics.

The links in the “Activity Check List” below can help you access the material:

1. The link for the reading goes to FHSU’s online bookstore. Once you log in, find our class to get information about both texts and to purchase them.  You should find the first text invaluable throughout the semester as you develop a research proposal and prepare for the final exam. We’ll begin utilizing the second text after the midterm exam.
2. The second link allows you to download a PowerPoint. It reviews the reading assignment and may have some additional material you’ll find in the upcoming quiz.

In addition to becoming familiar with class resources and starting your reading, you should:

1. Adjust your portfolio within this blog and
2. Create a new post to share research interests.
3. Plus! The Research Designers, one of our discussion groups, will each create presentations of our first chapter.

That first task is for extra credit to help us get to know one another. The second is a graded activity that will (a) ensure you have a basic understanding of this interface, (b) help you start thinking about research, and (c) help identify classmates with common interests. The last is a project that each group will work on intermittently as assigned to help everyone prepare for tests and learn about a few topics in more depth.

Hint: Getting both books as e-texts can help you with our open-book tests. 

Week 1 Learning Tasks:

A. Activity Checklist:

1. Review the Syllabus
2. Become familiar with our Bb site and this blog.
3. Patten – Read Part 1
4. Lecture Slides One – Intro to Research Methods

B. Assignment Checklist:

1. Extra Credit: Adjust your Blog Profile for this site
   • Each of the following is worth one-third of a point extra credit.
     • Provide a short bio
     • Add a picture
     • Add a nickname. For credit in this area:
       • Use the full name from your records, or email me if you need an exception,
       • If you do not normally use your full first name, include a different nickname in parenthesis for us to use, and
       • Note your preferred pronouns.
   • Note: Information on how to personalize your profile in this way is available on the “Welcome” page of the blog in “Course Info.” While “My Grades” in Bb will note how much extra credit you earned, the credit will not be added to your grade until after finals, when I report your grade to the university in May.
2. Week 1 Blog Post: Introductions and research ideas (required)
   • Once you’ve completed the assigned reading and thought about your, personal research interests in this class, let us know what you came up with. This can be a fairly general or specific area of interest. It can be inspired by your work or your hobbies.

1. • The blog’s “Welcome” page has a tutorial on creating your own post. Additionally, the assigned reading will help you better understand social scientific research and appropriate research topics.
   • When you write your post:
     • Be sure to follow the “Post Format” rules outlined in the syllabus. (If you haven’t found that by now, email me.)
     • Make sure your topic can be explored with new empirical research related to Informatics (see “empirical research” in Topic 2 of this week’s reading).
2. Presentations assigned to the Research Designers on Part 1 of Patten & Newhart.
   • Kaci Kerner, Gedion Bogale, James Helms,  Joshua Okechukwu,  Lance Perkins, and David Poulton are in that discussion group.

DUE: Monday, January 24 at 2 pm Central

Hint: To ensure you get full credit for your initial blog post, remember to review the rubric.

Discussion Groups: When you follow the group link to Bb, you’ll see two different groups.

1. Class Section: I provided that to help me communicate with students and to give you an option to email just the folks in your section.
2. Topic Group: In addition to the presentations that will be assigned to a different group each week, the topic group is the group of students that, ideally, you will reply to on a fairly regular basis throughout the semester.