NCLC 249 - Internet Literacy 
 
Welcome to the Web site for the semester NCLC 249 Internet Literacy course. This is a 4 credit New Century College course. This course is the prerequisite course for NCLC 350 Cyberculture and Virtual Community. In some semesters there is more than one section of this course. The assignments displayed here are representations which may or may not be exactly the same for specific sections. Please follow the specific syllabus, assignments and schedule for your section. There will be some individual differences in the treatment of the material by each professor, depending upon the needs of the particular students and the individual professor's teaching emphasis. All sections will share some common readings and major assignments.

* The work for this class must be original and not be used for any other class. If in doubt, check with your professor.

The subject of study: major aspects of the Internet - Web publishing, evaluating Web sources, investigating virtual communities, becoming knowledgeable about copyright and the Internet, and other major Internet issues. We will discuss some basic hypertext theory, and do a significant amount of reading, writing and critiquing.

The major thrust of this course is academic. This is not a graphics design class or advanced Web publishing class. You will learn basic Web design in the context of the course learning activities. A significant amount of your work will be published on your course Web site. 

Course Goals:

  • become knowlegeable about the social, political, legal, ethical, commercial and psychological aspects of the Internet 
  • become familiar with basic hypertext theory 
  • learn how to research, analyze, and critique Web resources 
  • understand and observe copyright laws 
  • create Web pages using HTML code, work with Web publishing programs, and work with ".gif" and ".jpg" graphics files)
  • engage in and critique communication on a variety of computer-mediated communication mediums 
  • gain real world work experience through the experiential /service learning component of the course - using your technology skills to provide some technology service (create or redesign Web site, do Internet research, teach Internet skills, etc.) for a non-profit organization. 
  • further develop your collaborative work skills and teach each other 
  • compose well written compositions for a variety of audiences and purposes
  • articulate how your learning experiences in this course relate to NCC Competencies. 
Required experiential learning component: 
You are expected to contribute 45 hours of activities to fulfill the one (1) credit experiential learning component. The work load is commensurate with the number of hours. You will perform a technology outreach (ie., design or redesign a Web site, teach Internet skills, perform Internet research) community service for a non-profit organization. Some of these projects may be done as a group; however, each member of the group must still contribute 45 hours of time, and this can include in-class activities related to the experiential learning component, such as sharing ideas, presenting to the class. You must pass the experiential learning requirement in order to pass the course, if, of course, your grades for the other assignments also warrant a passing grade.

TEXTS:
Required Texts: Internet Literacy, 3rd ed., Fred Hofstetter, McGraw-Hill; Internet Literacy Web site w. online resources; GMU Student Technology Guide; Service Learning Handbook; New Century College Writing Guide [There may be supplemental course material and optional texts that will vary section by section. Please check with your professor.]

Participation: The sharing of talent, knowledge, ideas, and questions is an important element of a community of learners; therefore, active participation is required.  This includes attendance and engagement in discussion, both in class and electronically. You are expected to come to class having read the material and having completed all course work due when that class meets. (Always bring your coursework on a disk when you come to class.) Your individual instructor will have her/his specific participation requirements related to in-class and online discussions and other course activities. 

Quality of work, not just completing it, determines the grade you earn on assignments.

Grading standard for final grades:
 
90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
59 - - - = F
Plusses and minusses will be figured in, if indicated.
Syllabi of Individual sections | experiential learning | NCC Competencies | Disability Resource Center | 
Honor Code | Writing Guide | Resources | Townhall | New Century College | George Mason University| 
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