INF1005H — Information Workshop I (Winter 2024)
Experiential, participatory workshop to integrate the skills, perspectives, and knowledge introduced in the other core courses. The intention of the workshops is to broaden your exposure to other areas; we encourage students to go outside of their comfort zone. Students will be working in groups.
Students must complete two (2) workshops (INF1005H and INF1006H), each worth 0.25 FCE to fulfill the core requirements for the Master of Information degree. The workshops must be taken with different instructors and are different topics. Normally INF1005H and INF1006H are taken during the same term. INF1005H is offered the first 6 weeks of the Winter term and INF1006H starts right after.
All instructors will give their workshop twice in the session (unless otherwise indicated) – once (INF1005H) in the first 6 weeks (week of January 8, 2024 to week of February 12, 2024) in the winter 2024 term, and again (INF1006H) in the last 6 weeks of the session (week of February26, 2023 to week of April 1, 2023) in the same time slot.
Please note that students need to enroll in one section each of both INF1005H and INF1006H.
****Please note the add/drop deadlines for INF1005H in winter 2024***
- Last date to ADD: Monday January 15, 2024 (Use ACORN – Within SGS Deadline, no form needed)
- Last day to DROP: Monday January 22, 2024 (Use ACORN – Within SGS Deadline, no form needed)
INF1005H information workshop course descriptions for winter 2024 are below.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INF1005H section 0101: Unanticipated Consequences of IT
Every IT artifact has a dual impact on individuals, organizations, and societies. The first category of impacts is always predicted by technology developers and adopters, and these usually serve as a justification for IT implementation and use. Examples include increased effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, entertainment, and quality of life. In contrast, the second type of impacts is never envisioned, but these unanticipated impacts may result in a multitude of negative consequences for various stakeholders. Examples of individual-level consequences include privacy violation, technology addiction, physical and mental health issues, cyberbullying, cyberslacking, negative user behavior, technology-family conflict, identity distortion, and skills deterioration. Instances of organizational-level consequences pertain to IT use-related employee stress (i.e., technostress), strain, information overload, work overload, work-family conflict, diminished productivity, innovation and well-being, and work interruptions. Examples of societal-level burdens pertain to election and public opinion influence, fake news, freedom of speech in social media, negative and misleading social advertising, cyber-terrorism, public safety, changes in social norms, and various ethical issues. It is critical to identify, understand, control, and hopefully minimize the negative unanticipated consequences of IT which result from the exponentially increasing ubiquity and power of intelligent machines and humans’ dependence on them. At the same time, some unanticipated consequences may be positive; whereas these were not envisioned by technology developers, they, nevertheless, accidentally appear and make a positive impact on various stakeholders.
The primary purpose of this workshop is to help students identify the negative unanticipated consequences of IT at the individual, organizational, and societal levels, to understand their cause, to predict their future direction, and to develop proactive measures to mitigate and hopefully eliminate their harmful effects. The secondary goal is to help students understand the driving force behind the positive unanticipated consequences of IT in order to recognize, predict, and enhance them.
INF1005H section 0102: Object-Oriented Thinking
Object-oriented thinking is a conceptual approach used in problem-solving and systems design. It emphasizes the idea that anything in the real world can be seen and modeled as an object, with its own characteristics and behaviors. Objects within a system collaborate with each other by exchanging messages to accomplish a task. This approach encourages system designers to analyze, understand, and solve problems by focusing on the identification, categorization, and interaction of objects.
This workshop aims to equip students with the essential knowledge and skills needed to think and design in an object-oriented manner. In addition, students will be exposed to object-oriented programming concepts (abstraction, encapsulation, composition, inheritance and polymorphism) through a combination of theoretical explanations, practical examples, and hands-on exercises. Prior programming experience is helpful but not required.
INF1005H section 0103: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Museums and Archives
This Information Workshop is designed for students wanting to contribute to the efforts of national reconciliation, especially in the contexts of museums and archives. The Workshop draws on film, biography and autobiography, critical texts, and experiences of mapping so that students can improve their understanding of the history and enduring effects of residential schooling, learn how to listen to survivors’ stories, empathize with ideas of dispossession and scarcity, and appreciate the role of heritage in Indigenous cultural resurgence and survivance.
INF1005H section 0104: Systems Thinking, Systems Design
Most of us lack an intuitive conceptual grasp of complex environments and their systemic interactions. We tend to criticize simplistic ways of thinking, but find it difficult to make constructive suggestions for how to deal with challenging situations where social, technological and humanistic questions interact. Information professionals in particular are keen on interdisciplinary engagement, but often find it challenging to engage with formal representations of complex systems, conceptual models of social and technical environments, and epistemic questions around such models. This workshop aims to provide students with an initial conceptual toolset to bridge disciplinary modes of thinking. It introduces systems thinking frameworks as mental devices to illuminate and critically interrogate key concepts, assumptions, frameworks and modes of engagement. Through these frameworks, it explores the multi-faceted nature of sustainability and the role of information systems and technology design in addressing it. We will use systems thinking games, collaborative modelling and case studies to explore the role of systems design in social, environmental and economic sustainability and discuss roles and responsibilities for information professionals in this space.
INF1005H section 0105: Educational Outreach in GLAM
In this workshop, we will explore opportunities for learning in Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM). Students will consider the affordances and challenges for learning in their relevant GLAM context, as well as the interests and prior knowledge of the communities they serve. Using theories of learning, development, and design, we will plan curricula, online environments, and in-person spaces that extend the reach our GLAM institutions.
INF1005H section 0106: Information and Contemplation
Contemplative practice is an umbrella term that encompasses various approaches, disciplines, and methods for developing attentiveness, awareness, compassion, concentration, presence, wisdom, transformation, and a deepened sense of meaning and purpose. This new INF1005/1006 Workshop introduces students at the Faculty of Information to contemplative practice and explores its potential for sparking positive change in Information Studies and in information institutions such as libraries, archives, museums, and the Internet. The goals of the course are as follows: To examine points of intersection between Contemplative practice and Information Studies; to imagine contemplative programs, services, and resources for the betterment of information institutions and their publics; and to give participants a structured opportunity to develop their own contemplative practice. Participants in the Workshop will experience three epistemologies, that is, ways of learning and knowing: A third person epistemology will engage the scholarly literature; a second person epistemology will entail discussions with peers and experts; and, a first person epistemology will consist of each student’s lived experience of contemplative practice. (It is important to note that first-person learning treats contemplative practice as an object of study and does not require belief or conversion to any spirituality, religion, or contemplative experience.)
INF1005H section 0107: Adopting DevOps for Large-Scale Information Systems
Information systems need to continuously evolve to cope with the rapid changes in our society. In the last years, DevOps has gained popularity as a practice that combines development and operation teams to reduce the time needed to build and deliver high-quality systems. This workshop provides an overview of the DevOps concepts and best practices. Throughout the workshop, students will learn the challenges of adopting DevOps for large-scale information systems. In addition, students will understand how to leverage Artificial Intelligence techniques to manage IT Operations (i.e., AIOps) of information systems.
INF1005H section 0108: Information and the World of Work
A steep rise in unemployment rates and increase in people looking for work in the wake of the pandemic coincides with a strong public perception that libraries can help people find jobs. Both public and private organizations are responding with the expectation that librarians to have a role in preparing job seekers for a post pandemic economy. This workshop will survey the roles of information practitioners in providing employment support services. We will explore debates about these roles; consider how to provide job hunting and career support services in libraries; and assess the values underlying these initiatives in order to propose innovative responses to providing information about developing skills, finding work, and pursuing careers.
INF1005H section 0109: Reimagining Global Copyright: Power Dynamics, Cultural Heritage, and the Global South
The global intellectual property system, with its Western and Northern assumptions about cultural production, has significant consequences for the Global South. As copyright laws continue to privatize humanity’s common cultural heritage, the resulting economic imbalance and constraints on artistic expression disproportionately impact countries in the Global South. This workshop will explore the complexities of the global copyright system, its effects on cultural production, and the creative resistance against it in the Global South.
Format: The workshop will combine interactive lectures, group discussions, case studies, and hands-on activities, highlighting real-world examples of how copyright laws impact cultural production, access to knowledge, and economic growth in the Global South. Students will engage in critical analysis of the current global copyright system and explore alternative models that promote a more equitable sharing of knowledge and resources.
INF1005H section 0110: Primary Source Research as Inquiry: Storytelling, Memory, and Authenticity
Historiography—the writing of history based on a critical examination of sources—plays a central role in the construction of narrative and is closely tied to memory and storytelling. As information professionals, including archivists, curators, librarians, system and UX designers, data scientists, etc., our work revolves around maintaining the integrity and authenticity of information. It is important that we, too, understand the relationship between storytelling and the records under our care. Framed through the archive, this new workshop will introduce students to the concepts of Research as Inquiry, as drawn from the ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016) and its role in questioning the reliability, authenticity, and relevance of primary sources. With memory fallible, we must ask ourselves a series of question when exploring the archive: Can we rely on the archive to support—or supplant—the role of memory? How can the core tenants of historiography be applied to the archive? What kinds of truths can letters, documents, and photographs reveal during research inquiry? Over the course of six weeks, this workshop will position the student as researcher and invite them to question the reliability and relevance of archival sources as they participate in the process of constructing and presenting a historical narrative revealed through a set of records. Through a combination of hands-on work, guest speakers, and tours, students will learn about and critique the process of constructing and presenting historical narrative. No previous knowledge of archives is required; students from all paths are encouraged to participate.
INF1005H section 0111: Artificial Intelligence Policy
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) systems have seen increasing adoption across many industries and sectors. AI systems are now used in a variety of application areas, including process automation, content generation, virtual assistance, robotics, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, education, public administration, policing, and security. Although AI systems present a wide range of potential benefits, AI systems also have the potential to cause many social, psychological, economic, material, and environmental harms. Consequently, many government institutions, intergovernmental bodies, companies, educational institutions, and other organizations are now designing and implementing AI policies with the goal of maximizing the potential benefits and preventing the potential harms of AI systems.
This workshop will introduce students to the emerging field of artificial intelligence policy. Students will learn about common types of AI systems, applications, and use cases, as well as ethical and governance implications of AI systems. Students will then survey a variety of AI policy instruments developed by government institutions, intergovernmental bodies, and corporations. In assignments, students will gain experience both individually and as part of a team assessing the ethical and governance implications of AI systems, analyzing and comparing different AI policies and policy development processes, and reporting on policy gaps and policy recommendations.
INF1005H section 0112: Exploring outreach: sharing collections, engaging the public, and encouraging participatory approaches
Over the years, an increasing number of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) are investing in and contributing to spaces beyond their walls and interfaces. Such efforts, or outreach activities, predominantly focus on engaging with the public by sharing collections to increase visibility and demonstrate institutional value. However, such initiatives can also engage new audiences through the organization of public events and development of participatory approaches. In this workshop, students will explore Wikimedia platforms, including Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), Wikimedia Commons (the media file repository), and Wikidata (the central storage for structured data) as a site for this work. This workshop will study how these tools can enhance outreach and participation, while also examining the tensions between internal factors (such as institutional control and metrics) and outside influences (the limitations, biases, or criticisms of tools and spaces), and their impact on the design, delivery, and reception of programming. Taught from the perspective of an archivist, the knowledge gained from this workshop can be applied to the responsibilities of gallery, library, and museum workers.
INF1005H section 0113: Queer Art and Archives
As an artist in residence at the GLBT Historical Society, E.G. Crichton developed “Matchmaking in the Archive,” a project that paired contemporary artists with collections housed in the GLBT Historical Society’s archive. Resulting in two exhibitions and a soon to be published book, Crichton’s project asked each artist to create a new work based on their assigned collection. In this workshop, we will explore creative projects like “Matchmaking in the Archive” that utilize archival research to grapple with queer and trans histories. Specifically, this workshop looks at contemporary film, performance, and visual art by artists such as Jean Carlomusto, Leah DeVun, Cheryl Dunye, Xandra Ibarra, Chase Joynt, Theodore Kerr, Allyson Mitchell, Ulrike Müller, LJ Roberts, Tourmaline, and Chris Vargas. Though working in different mediums and focusing on different historical contexts across the 20th century, these artists similarly play with the possibilities and limits of the archival record of queer and trans lives and social movements. Through carefully attending to these projects, this workshop more generally introduces major trends in queer and trans historiography, while asking what art can teach us about archives and the histories they document. Alongside our study of how artists use archives, workshop participants will develop their own creative project based on research at The ArQuives or the Sexual Representation Collection that will be included in a digital exhibit on “Queer Art + Archives.”
INF1005H section 0114: Trauma-Informed Information Practices
This workshop is designed for students who are interested in learning about the ways information sources or encounters with people with difficult stories can emotionally affect them and/or their colleagues and patrons. Drawing from expertise in social work and information studies, students will consider how emotionally sensitive content encountered in their profession may have “traumatic potentialities” — a concept that will be explored in further depth throughout the workshop. The purpose of this workshop is for students to develop and apply trauma-informed approaches adapted for their respective professional contexts, and to learn about and practice methods for coping with potentially traumatic situations in the workplace, such as encountering racist language in a record or email. Students will build the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and address expressions of direct and indirect trauma, and to learn concrete strategies to manage the impacts of trauma both for themselves and those they interact with in a professional workplace setting.
INF1005H section 0115: Best Practices in Data Visualization
Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill and through this workshop we will explore ways to visually represent data and to interpret existing visualizations of data. Workshop participants will leave with a better understanding of what visualization works best for a particular data set, what makes for a strong visualization and the importance of narrative in the construction of a graphic representation of data.
INF1005H section 0116: Creating and Exploring Software Environments with JavaScript and Node.js
With the rise of rich Web applications such as Canva and Google Docs, software is returning to a mode of service first developed in the 1970s, in which users “inhabit” responsive and intuitive environments. The emergence of JavaScript as a powerful scripting tool has proved pivotal for these efforts. JavaScript has also moved to the command line in the form of Node.js, helping to spark a new generation of command-line interface (CLI) tools. This workshop will explore these exciting frontiers through both hands-on coding exercises, and readings that cover several decades’ worth of hardware and software innovations in these areas. Students will harness the power of JavaScript by exploring and building simple tools within the Node.js CLI, while also creating their own simple CLIs. Readings will explore the roots of software environments in time-sharing systems, and later expressions of graphical systems such as Mac OS and Windows. Prior knowledge of JavaScript is not necessary, only a willingness to embrace the programming experience with curiosity and a determination to learn. To maximize learning (and fun) potential, we will borrow some concepts from Agile software development, breaking into teams based on ability and striving to quickly produce working programs.
INF1005H section 0117: Graphic Design for UX
Graphic design is a major component of the overall user experience of interactive systems. This workshop will introduce students to graphic design elements needed in the design of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Throughout the workshop, students will learn the basic graphical design principles and theories that are essential for effective visual design. Topics will include: alignment, layout, repetition, contrast, colour, and typography; fundamentals of composition; usability and accessibility. The workshop will integrate current software tools and appropriate digital methods for the design of interactivity and user interfaces. This workshop will allow students to: Explain the relationship between user experience and graphic design; develop visual vocabularies related to graphical design elements; develop an aesthetic understanding of how graphic design impacts the look and feel of user interfaces; and apply graphical design principles and theories to design the skin of graphical user interfaces.
INF1005H section 0118: Examining Library Neutrality
Library neutrality is not a new topic, but it remains a hot topic across different landscapes of librarianship, and it encompasses many issues and challenges for practicing librarians. In this workshop we will engage with library neutrality through questions such as: In what ways are or aren’t libraries neutral? What are the impacts on users/communities? How do library policies uphold or undermine neutrality? Who and how does neutrality help? Who and how does neutrality harm? What are other questions we should be asking ourselves about neutrality in libraries to develop alternative approaches?
The overarching aim of the workshop is to examine a variety of issues related to library neutrality that students might encounter in their future library work. Some issues to examine include protests and counter-protests at controversial events, library collecting decisions under scrutiny with book challenges, security and policing in libraries, budget cuts, and the politicization of library boards. We will explore historical and current debates around neutrality in the profession, critical theoretical approaches to the topic, and practical, material challenges in libraries today. Through this collective work I hope students will reflect on what kinds of librarians they want to be, what kinds of libraries they want to see in the world, and how they can work toward building them.
INF1005H section 0119: Information and the Body
Information Studies has historically focused on documents or artifacts, while only tacitly acknowledging the role of the body and the senses in our interactions with information in various forms. Embodied knowledge is central within many everyday activities in which people interact with information, including sports and athletics, health and fitness, music, art and design, craftwork, and cooking. Recent technological innovations, such as wearable fitness monitors, metabolic trackers, and tactile, haptic interfaces, also reveal a converging relationship between information technology and the body. This workshop draws upon foundational information behaviour research and interdisciplinary perspectives on embodied information, including the research methods appropriate for studying embodied knowledge. Students from all concentrations will gain a better understanding of the role of the body in information practices generally, as well as its relevance in a range of professional information workplaces.
INF1005H section 0120: Best Practices in Data Visualization
Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill and through this workshop we will explore ways to visually represent data and to interpret existing visualizations of data. Workshop participants will leave with a better understanding of what visualization works best for a particular data set, what makes for a strong visualization and the importance of narrative in the construction of a graphic representation of data.
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INF1005H — Information Workshop I (Winter 2023)
Experiential, participatory workshop to integrate the skills, perspectives, and knowledge introduced in the other core courses. The intention of the workshops is to broaden your exposure to other areas; we encourage students to go outside of their comfort zone. Students will be working in groups.
Students must complete two (2) workshops (INF1005H and INF1006H), each worth 0.25 FCE to fulfill the core requirements for the Master of Information degree. The workshops must be taken with different instructors and are different topics. Normally INF1005H and INF1006H are taken during the same term. INF1005H is offered the first 6 weeks of the Winter term and INF1006H starts right after.
All instructors will give their workshop twice in the session (unless otherwise indicated) – once (INF1005H) in the first 6 weeks (week of January 9, 2023 to week of February 13, 2023) in the winter 2023 term, and again (INF1006H) in the last 6 weeks of the session (week of February 27, 2023 to week of April 3, 2023) in the same time slot.
Please note that students need to enroll in one section each of both INF1005H and INF1006H.
INF1005H information workshop course descriptions for winter 2023 are below.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
INF1005H section 0101: Unanticipated Consequences of IT
Every IT artifact has a dual impact on individuals, organizations, and societies. The first category of impacts is always predicted by technology developers and adopters, and these usually serve as a justification for IT implementation and use. Examples include increased effectiveness, efficiency, productivity, entertainment, and quality of life. In contrast, the second type of impacts is never envisioned, but these unanticipated impacts may result in a multitude of negative consequences for various stakeholders. Examples of individual-level consequences include privacy violation, technology addiction, physical and mental health issues, cyberbullying, cyberslacking, negative user behavior, technology-family conflict, identity distortion, and skills deterioration. Instances of organizational-level consequences pertain to IT use-related employee stress (i.e., technostress), strain, information overload, work overload, work-family conflict, diminished productivity, innovation and well-being, and work interruptions. Examples of societal-level burdens pertain to election and public opinion influence, fake news, freedom of speech in social media, negative and misleading social advertising, cyber-terrorism, public safety, changes in social norms, and various ethical issues. It is critical to identify, understand, control, and hopefully minimize the negative unanticipated consequences of IT which result from the exponentially increasing ubiquity and power of intelligent machines and humans’ dependence on them. At the same time, some unanticipated consequences may be positive; whereas these were not envisioned by technology developers, they, nevertheless, accidentally appear and make a positive impact on various stakeholders.
The primary purpose of this workshop is to help students identify the negative unanticipated consequences of IT at the individual, organizational, and societal levels, to understand their cause, to predict their future direction, and to develop proactive measures to mitigate and hopefully eliminate their harmful effects. The secondary goal is to help students understand the driving force behind the positive unanticipated consequences of IT in order to recognize, predict, and enhance them.
INF1005H section 0102: Internet of Things
This course focuses on Internet of Things (IoT) paradigms, architectures, and standards. Explores convergence of IT and OT, and IoT challenges. Provides an overview of security and privacy in IoT. Discusses and explores opportunities in implementing IoT systems.
INF1005H section 0103: Systems Thinking, Systems Design
Most of us lack an intuitive conceptual grasp of complex environments and their systemic interactions. We tend to criticize simplistic ways of thinking, but find it difficult to make constructive suggestions for how to deal with challenging situations where social, technological and humanistic questions interact. Information professionals in particular are keen on interdisciplinary engagement, but often find it challenging to engage with formal representations of complex systems, conceptual models of social and technical environments, and epistemic questions around such models.
This workshop aims to provide students with an initial conceptual toolset to bridge disciplinary modes of thinking. It introduces systems thinking frameworks as mental devices to illuminate and critically interrogate key concepts, assumptions, frameworks and modes of engagement. Through these frameworks, it explores the multi-faceted nature of sustainability and the role of information systems and technology design in addressing it. We will use systems thinking games, collaborative modelling and case studies to explore the role of systems design in social, environmental and economic sustainability and discuss roles and responsibilities for information professionals in this space.
INF1005H section 0104: Information and Contemplation
Contemplative practice is an umbrella term that encompasses various approaches, disciplines, and methods for developing attentiveness, awareness, compassion, concentration, presence, wisdom, transformation, and a deepened sense of meaning and purpose. This new INF1005/1006 Workshop introduces students at the Faculty of Information to contemplative practice and explores its potential for sparking positive change in Information Studies and in information institutions such as libraries, archives, museums, and the Internet. The goals of the course are as follows: To examine points of intersection between Contemplative practice and Information Studies; to imagine contemplative programs, services, and resources for the betterment of information institutions and their publics; and to give participants a structured opportunity to develop their own contemplative practice. Participants in the Workshop will experience three epistemologies, that is, ways of learning and knowing: A third person epistemology will engage the scholarly literature; a second person epistemology will entail discussions with peers and experts; and, a first person epistemology will consist of each student’s lived experience of contemplative practice. (It is important to note that first-person learning treats contemplative practice as an object of study and does not require belief or conversion to any spirituality, religion, or contemplative experience.)
INF1005H section 0105: Adopting DevOps for Large-Scale Information Systems
Information systems need to continuously evolve to cope with the rapid changes in our society. In the last years, DevOps has gained popularity as a practice that combines development and operation teams to reduce the time needed to build and deliver high-quality systems. This workshop provides an overview of the DevOps concepts and best practices. Throughout the workshop, students will learn the challenges of adopting DevOps for large-scale information systems. In addition, students will understand how to leverage Artificial Intelligence techniques to manage IT Operations (i.e., AIOps) of information systems.
INF1005H section 0106: Information and the World of Work
A steep rise in unemployment rates and increase in people looking for work in the wake of the pandemic coincides with a strong public perception that libraries can help people find jobs. Both public and private organizations are responding with the expectation that librarians to have a role in preparing job seekers for a post pandemic economy. This workshop will survey the roles of information practitioners in providing employment support services. We will explore debates about these roles; consider how to provide job hunting and career support services in libraries; and assess the values underlying these initiatives in order to propose innovative responses to providing information about developing skills, finding work, and pursuing careers.
INF1005H section 0107: Methods and Memory Work
What is the black cultural imagination and what methods can we use to ethically study its contours? This six-week master’s level workshop brings together black critical theory, black queer and trans studies, and contemporary cultural (literary, sonic, historical, and performance) sites and texts as productive arenas for the theorization of the form and function of archival practices and cultural memory. Students will produce creative writing and collectively envision visionary archival methods.
INF1005H section 0108: Trauma-informed Information Practices
This workshop is designed for students who are interested in learning about the ways information sources or encounters with people with difficult stories can emotionally affect them and/or their colleagues and patrons. Drawing from expertise in social work and information studies, students will consider how emotionally sensitive content encountered in their profession may have “traumatic potentialities” — a concept that will be explored in further depth throughout the workshop. The purpose of this workshop is for students to develop and apply trauma-informed approaches adapted for their respective professional contexts, and to learn about and practice methods for coping with potentially traumatic situations in the workplace, such as encountering racist language in a record or email. Students will build the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and address expressions of direct and indirect trauma, and to learn concrete strategies to manage the impacts of trauma both for themselves and those they interact with in a professional workplace setting.
INF1005H section 0109: Primary Source Research as Inquiry: Storytelling, Memory, and Authenticity
Historiography—the writing of history based on a critical examination of sources—plays a central role in the construction of narrative and is closely tied to memory and storytelling. As information professionals, including archivists, curators, librarians, system and UX designers, data scientists, etc., our work revolves around maintaining the integrity and authenticity of information. It is important that we, too, understand the relationship between storytelling and the records under our care. Framed through the archive, this new workshop will introduce students to the concepts of Research as Inquiry, as drawn from the ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education (2016) and its role in questioning the reliability, authenticity, and relevance of primary sources. With memory fallible, we must ask ourselves a series of question when exploring the archive: Can we rely on the archive to support—or supplant—the role of memory? How can the core tenants of historiography be applied to the archive? What kinds of truths can letters, documents, and photographs reveal during research inquiry? Over the course of six weeks, this workshop will position the student as researcher and invite them to question the reliability and relevance of archival sources as they participate in the process of constructing and presenting a historical narrative revealed through a set of records. Through a combination of hands-on work, guest speakers, and tours, students will learn about and critique the process of constructing and presenting historical narrative. No previous knowledge of archives is required; students from all paths are encouraged to participate.
INF1005H section 0110: Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Museums and Archives
This Information Workshop is designed for students wanting to contribute to the efforts of national reconciliation, especially in the contexts of museums and archives. The Workshop draws on film, biography and autobiography, critical texts, and experiences of mapping so that students can improve their understanding of the history and enduring effects of residential schooling, learn how to listen to survivors’ stories, empathize with ideas of dispossession and scarcity, and appreciate the role of heritage in Indigenous cultural resurgence and survivance.
INF1005H section 0111: Queer Art and Archives
As an artist in residence at the GLBT Historical Society, E.G. Crichton developed “Matchmaking in the Archive,” a project that paired contemporary artists with collections housed in the GLBT Historical Society’s archive. Resulting in two exhibitions and a soon to be published book, Crichton’s project asked each artist to create a new work based on their assigned collection. In this workshop, we will explore creative projects like “Matchmaking in the Archive” that utilize archival research to grapple with queer and trans histories. Specifically, this workshop looks at contemporary film, performance, and visual art by artists such as Jean Carlomusto, Leah DeVun, Cheryl Dunye, Xandra Ibarra, Chase Joynt, Theodore Kerr, Allyson Mitchell, Ulrike Müller, LJ Roberts, Tourmaline, and Chris Vargas. Though working in different mediums and focusing on different historical contexts across the 20th century, these artists similarly play with the possibilities and limits of the archival record of queer and trans lives and social movements. Through carefully attending to these projects, this workshop more generally introduces major trends in queer and trans historiography, while asking what art can teach us about archives and the histories they document. Alongside our study of how artists use archives, workshop participants will develop their own creative project based on research at The ArQuives or the Sexual Representation Collection that will be included in a digital exhibit on “Queer Art + Archives.”
INF1005H section 0112: Exploring Outreach: Sharing Collections, Engaging the Public, and Encouraging Participatory Approaches
Over the years, an increasing number of galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) are investing in and contributing to spaces beyond their walls and interfaces. Such efforts, or outreach activities, predominantly focus on engaging with the public by sharing collections to increase visibility and demonstrate institutional value. However, such initiatives can also engage new audiences through the organization of public events and development of participatory approaches. In this workshop, students will explore Wikimedia platforms, including Wikipedia (the free online encyclopedia), Wikimedia Commons (the media file repository), and Wikidata (the central storage for structured data) as a site for this work. This workshop will study how these tools can enhance outreach and participation, while also examining the tensions between internal factors (such as institutional control and metrics) and outside influences (the limitations, biases, or criticisms of tools and spaces), and their impact on the design, delivery, and reception of programming. Taught from the perspective of an archivist, the knowledge gained from this workshop can be applied to the responsibilities of gallery, library, and museum workers.
INF1005H section 0113: Reading and Unreading Digital-Born Creative Works: Critical Making of Contemporary Information
The recent digital-born creative works are imbued with heterogenous components of digital media aesthetics such as graphic designs, kinetic texts and images and videos. Using digital media aesthetics contemporary writers and artists deploy such digital-born creative works to address cultural values, and societal challenges and issues. Such creative works have transformed conventional methods of reading and call for an alternative method to understand and glean information that is ingrained in the creative works. Digital media aesthetics thus demand digital literacy to engage in such conversation.
The aim of this workshop is to provide students with tools and methods to critically interrogate digital-born creative works and their media aesthetics to discern contemporary societal challenges wrought by digital industries (for example Google and Amazon), the COVID 19 pandemic and environmental crises. This workshop engages with the following questions a) What conceptual changes in critical making of contemporary information practices can be discerned from digital creative works? b) What methods are best suited to critically interrogate and interact with digital-born creative works in the current information ecosystem? The workshop will source digital-born creative works (electronic literature and electronic art) from Electronic Literature Volume (1,2,3 and 4) and other online databases. The digital artists who work in this field of practice will be invited to facilitate a conversation between students and artists about how digital media aesthetics are encoded and how they can be critically decoded in a nuanced way to apprehend information embedding and circulation practices from creative works. The students will also be given a hands-on training to create their own digital-born creative works through the online tool, Twine on any one of the themes taught in the course. No prior knowledge of digital-born creative works, methods and tools are required. Students from all backgrounds will be encouraged to participate in the workshop.
INF1005H section 0114: Best Practices in Data Visualization
Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill and through this workshop we will explore ways to visually represent data and to interpret existing visualizations of data. Workshop participants will leave with a better understanding of what visualization works best for a particular data set, what makes for a strong visualization and the importance of narrative in the construction of a graphic representation of data.
INF1005H section 0115: Graphic Design for UX
Graphic design is a major component of the overall user experience of interactive systems. This workshop will introduce students to graphic design elements needed in the design of Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). Throughout the workshop, students will learn the basic graphical design principles and theories that are essential for effective visual design. Topics will include: alignment, layout, repetition, contrast, colour, and typography; fundamentals of composition; usability and accessibility. The workshop will integrate current software tools and appropriate digital methods for the design of interactivity and user interfaces.
This workshop will allow students to:
Explain the relationship between user experience and graphic design;
Develop visual vocabularies related to graphical design elements;
Develop an aesthetic understanding of how graphic design impacts the look and feel of user interfaces; and
Apply graphical design principles and theories to design the skin of graphical user interfaces.
INF1005H section 0116: Supporting Researchers Investigating Difficult Histories: A Relationship-Based Access System
In the last decade scholars have highlighted the ways materials that document difficult histories can traumatize and cause pain to those who access them. This workshop investigates the components of an access system and the ways each element helps or hinder researchers investigating difficult histories. The course proposes a holistic view of an access system including the archival environment, finding aids and indexes, as well as the interactions among archivists and researchers. It will discuss a relationship-based access system grounded on the principles of “respect, honesty, wisdom, courage, humility, love and truth”, a temporal model of slow archives and the theoretical construct of an ethic of care. The assignments will involve the development of a relationship-based access rubric and a visit to a library or archives to evaluate their access system.
INF1005H section 0118: Creating and Exploring Software Environments with JavaScript and Node.js
With the rise of rich Web applications such as Canva and Google Docs, software is returning to a mode of service first developed in the 1970s, in which users “inhabit” responsive and intuitive environments. The emergence of JavaScript as a powerful scripting tool has proved pivotal for these efforts. JavaScript has also moved to the command line in the form of Node.js, helping to spark a new generation of command-line interface (CLI) tools. This workshop will explore these exciting frontiers through both hands-on coding exercises, and readings that cover several decades’ worth of hardware and software innovations in these areas. Students will harness the power of JavaScript by exploring and building simple tools within the Node.js CLI, while also creating their own simple CLIs. Readings will explore the roots of software environments in time-sharing systems, and later expressions of graphical systems such as Mac OS and Windows.
Prior knowledge of JavaScript is not necessary, only a willingness to embrace the programming experience with curiosity and a determination to learn. To maximize learning (and fun) potential, we will borrow some concepts from Agile software development, breaking into teams based on ability and striving to quickly produce working programs.
****Please note the add/drop deadlines for INF1005H in winter 2023***
- Last date to ADD: Monday January 16, 2023 (Use ACORN – Within SGS Deadline, no form needed)
- Last day to DROP: Monday January 23, 2023 (Use ACORN – Within SGS Deadline, no form needed)
Note: Formerly INF1004H
