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Computer-Mediated Communication Practicum                  John December

Overview and Orientation                                       21 Jan 94
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Introduction
	The purpose of the practicum component of this course is to 
        help you gain hands-on experience with CMC forums and 
        Network Information Retrieval (NIR) tools on the Internet 
        computer network.  You will learn how to participate in,
        and observe communication forums as well as retrieve 
        information using tools.

        In designing the lessons for this practicum, I've kept in 
        mind that this course is primarily about the nature of CMC,
        not just about how to use the Internet.  I've
        also kept in mind that students in this course have
        a range of computer/Internet experience.

        We are going to cover many "nitty gritty" details about 
        how to use the Internet, but I've tried to keep the complexity
        of these lessons to a minimum.  I've chosen tools with graphical
        user interfaces wherever possible.  

	I also want to help you learn about specific or extra things
	that might appeal to your interests.  If you are 
        a more advanced user, please help out those who are less 
        experienced; then, in each practicum, we should have time at 
        the end when you can ask me or someone else about even more 
        "Extras" and advanced things to explore.

The Nature of Tools
	Tools are a product of a culture.  In using Internet tools, 
        think critically about the people, processes, communication, 
        information, and assumptions they involve.  Consider the 
        tools' technical details, but also how they are used within 
	a culture, with what set of assumptions, for what 
        purposes, by whom, and within what systems of control.

Core Skills
	The lessons in the practicums focus on developing your 
	skills to:

	o Use the Internet to communicate, 1:1 or 1:many,
          asychronously or synchronously, with text,
          hypertext, graphics, sound, and motion graphics,
          employing a variety of NIR tools and CMC forums.

	o Know sources of and how to obtain Internet Information.

	o Know the kinds of tools available for CMC and NIR 
          on the Internet, how to access them, and how to find 
          out more information about them. 

        o Thrive in the dynamic, networked communication and 
          information communities on the Internet. 

	o Think critically about the tools and technology of 
	  the Internet.

Key concepts to understand
	While doing these lessons, you will gain understanding 
	of the Internet.  The key concepts I hope you will come 
	to appreciate are:

	o The Internet is a collection of networks, run by cooperating
	  organizations (commercial, academic, private, government),
          using a common set of rules for exchanging information.
          The Internet is connected via gateways to commercial
	  services (CompuServe, America Online) as well as other
	  networks (e.g., Bitnet, UUCP, FidoNet).
          
	o What you can access on the Internet depends on what 
	  tool or interface you are using.  You can use tools
          with graphical or text interfaces.  Some interfaces,
  	  like Mosaic, give you access to several kinds of 
          NIR tools.  Other interfaces give you access to 
	  information or communication in a specific format 
	  (e.g., gopher, Usenet).

        o The Internet is changing and growing very rapidly.
          (more than a million new users a month---some describe
          it as the fastest growing form of communication in the 
          history of civilization).

        o There is a whole lot more to know about the Internet.
          
The lessons:
	o LESSON 1: electronic mail (sending, receiving) both
          in 1:1 and 1:many contexts.

	o LESSON 2: networked hypermedia information and communication 
          using the Mosaic interface to the World Wide Web.

	o LESSON 3: details of CMC forums and NIR tools.

	o LESSON 4: "Internaut" survival skills: finding out more
          and studying the Internet.


"Extras" (Optional):
	In each lesson, I'll identify "Extras" that you might want to 
        do.  These are optional, but if you are an advanced user 
        or find the required lesson easy, this "Extras" can give 
        you some starting points for further exploration. 

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HOMEWORK:  
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	In each lesson, I describe a short homework assignment
	that is due the following week.  In these assignments, I 
	ask you to describe and think about what you have encountered 
        while exploring the Internet.  To facilitate sharing these
	experiences, you will turn in these assignments to a 
        electronic mail discussion list set up for this class.

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I hope that these practicums give you a sense of the Internet and how 
you might use it as a place for research.

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                                        Copyright (c) 1994 John December