University of Maryland HCI Lab Symposium

1. University of MarylandHCI Lab Symposium iSchools, iCaucus, iField, iFaculty, iStudents – i..i..i. What Gives? Mike Eisenberg iSchool, University of Washington May 27, 2009

2. - Prologue - M. Eisenberg 2009

4. - The End -

5. Thank you very much!

8. The Question How can we best meet the information needs of users?

9. Multiple Choice How can we best meet the information needs of users? • technology • training • it all depends…

10. Answer “It all depends…”

11. Eisenberg’s Rule “Users” “It all depends…” M. Eisenberg 2009

12. BEHAVIOR Depends on … NEEDS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SITUATION USER(S) VALUES PROCESSES TYPE ORGANIZATION RESOURCES

13. Common Binding Perspective “We look at the world through INFORMATION -colored glasses.”

14. - Feature presentation - M. Eisenberg 2009

15. Agenda • The Information Perspective • iSchools and the Information Field • Academic programs • Research • Attributes • Doctoral education • Q&A M. Eisenberg 2009

16. Agenda • The Information Perspective • iSchools and the Information Field • Academic programs • Research • Attributes • Doctoral education • Q&A M. Eisenberg 2009

17. INFORMATION

19. Resources The Science of Information Policy Systems Management USERS Behavior Services Organization Storage & Retrieval

20. Agenda • The Information Perspective • iSchools and the Information Field • Academic programs • Research • Attributes • Doctoral education • Q&A M. Eisenberg 2009

21. Academic Perspectives Electrical Engineering Computer Science Business Information M. Eisenberg 2009

22. Information Field Information Technology People M. Eisenberg 2009

23. Higher Education Today The research imperative: produce or perish. For academic programs, there is no free lunch. If not high impact, at least high visibility. Fund raising – who loves ya, baby? Big (or at least critical mass) is beautiful. While not futile it’s still feudal. M. Eisenberg 2009

24. The Independent Information SchoolCritical Mass Programs on all levels – bachelors, masters, doctorate Visibility-on campus & in the broader community Plenty of students Diverse faculty Significant support staff Research funding Endowment & fundraising State-of-the-art facilities, technologies, and space M. Eisenberg 2009

25. Academic Programs • Bachelor’s • Informatics • Information • Information Management & Technology • Master’s • Library Science • Library & Information Science • Information Management • Information • Information Science • Doctorate • PhD • Professional Doctorate M. Eisenberg 2009

26. Sample Course INFO 200 Intellectual Foundations of Informatics M. Eisenberg 2009

27. Research Broad-based & inclusive Across all faculty Theoretical and applied Collaborative (within faculty, across campus, and with colleagues globally) Involves students on all levels M. Eisenberg 2009

28. People Technology Information Research That Makes a Difference M. Eisenberg 2009

29. biomedical informatics Cataloging: conceptualization, use, and design classification cognitive work analysis computer-supported cooperative work electronic government design methods for systems and information digital libraries digital reference human-computer interaction human information behavior intellectual property interaction design international aspects of information systems knowledge management knowledge organization natural language processing networks – technology, community, and society organizational impacts of information systems security organizational learning programming teams social networks information ethics information literacy for life-long learning information management information and the quality of life information policy information retrieval information services information technology management information and system dynamics information systems for children and young adults philosophy & theory of information and library privacy rights school and public library services for children and young adults socio-technical analyses of information systems text and data-mining user centered design & evaluation of information systems value sensitive design organizational sustainability personal information management virtual worlds Information literacy UW iSchool Research Areas 2008 M. Eisenberg 2008

30. UC Irvine iSchool • SPROUT - Security and Privacy Research OUTfit • Security in Unattended Wireless Sensor Networks • Shows that, in the presence of a powerful mobile adversary, securing data stored on unattended sensors presents some interesting challenges and opens up an exciting new line of research. • Sponsor: Secure Computing & Networking Center (SCONCE)

31. University of Maryland iSchool • International Children's Digital Library (ICDL) • Investigates how children access and use digital books to explore diverse cultures using a library containing almost 3,000 digitized books from over 37 countries. • Sponsors: National Science Foundation; Institute of Museum and Library Services; Microsoft Corporation; Adobe Systems Incorporated, …

32. Florida State University iSchool Leadership in Action: School Library Media Specialists for the 21st Century: Leaders Educated to Make Difference To determine how library and information science education can better prepare school library media specialists to be leaders in the integration of technology in their schools. "This new grant will essentially determine if our leadership graduates can not only talk the talk but walk the walk.“ Sponsor: Institute for Museum & Library Services (IMLS)

33. University of Toronto iSchool The State of Information Post 9/11 Examines the legislation, policies and practices around "information" and informational activities in various countries, following the 9/11 attacks. In their quest for protecting citizens and enhancing national and global security, many governments have increasingly tightened control over the production, management and diffusion of any information deemed of a sensitive nature. This research project examines the significance and the consequences of such practices for various sectors of society, including the media and publishing sectors, the scientific and academic circles, civil society, and ultimately the broader public. Sponsorship: two grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2004-2010)

34. I-Schools Caucus To pursue common objectives with a collective commitment of resources Originally 5, then 9, now 25, soon ?? iConference (4th annual at UNC in 2009, UIUC in 2010, UW in 2011) International – Wuhan (China), Royal School (Denmark), Singapore Management Univ, Humbolt Univ Berlin (Germany) M. Eisenberg 2009

35. iSchool Attributes http://flickr.com/photos/smorkus/ Big Tent Collaborative At the Center Innovative & Entrepreneurial Increasingly Visible M. Eisenberg 2009

36. Big Tent M. Eisenberg 2009

37. Disciplinarity • Multi- • Inter- • Cross- • Trans- • All of the above? M. Eisenberg 2009

38. At the Center… http://flickr.com/photos/smorkus/ M. Eisenberg 2009

39. seattle magazine The Perfect Piece of Toast Google for a grade Are hackers using your PC to spew spam and steal? The New York Times WHAT'S NEXT; Now Where Was I? New Ways to Revisit Web Sites Talk of the Nation—Analysis: Benefit of instant information can become burden of too much information E-serenity, now! Reeling from e-mail, cable TV, and cell phones, info-environmentalists try to reclaim mental green space. Not just another computer geek M. Eisenberg 2005

40. Agenda • The Information Perspective • iSchools and the Information Field • Academic programs • Research • Attributes • Doctoral education • Q&A M. Eisenberg 2009

41. Challenges No clear body of mastery knowledge, skills, and methodologies for all information doctoral students. Students do not and will not necessarily come from an information major. Undergrads and masters programs are almost all professional programs. Purpose = to educate for a profession. Under big tent, faculty come from many different fields: business, computer science, psychology, library science, as well as the emerging information programs. These faculty have approaches and conventions that differ. M. Eisenberg 2009

42. But… We ARE an emerging field in our own right. We are NOT simply a bunch of fields thrown together or the intersection of a number of fields or puffed up library science or watered down computer science. M. Eisenberg 2009

43. Eventually … We will have students entering our academic and research career ladder from undergraduate up. These students who come up through the information field ladder will be very different from most of those today who come from a range of different fields and traditions. M. Eisenberg 2009

44. Also… • Undergrad information students will likely be exposed the main tenets of the field – e.g., the user perspective (human-centered system design, user-based information services, knowledge organization, key policy understandings, behavior, search). • Those who come from other areas will need to bridge the gap, perhaps with more extensive pre-program preparation, including a discipline-based masters, as opposed to a professional one. M. Eisenberg 2009

45. Therefore…Near Future Create a rich research environment – with multiple avenues of learning and becoming socialized into the field (colloquia, classes, mentoring). Students must be engaged – either required or expected or compelling. Lots of projects, speakers, sharing, community-building. Doctoral education involves knowledge and skills, but also developing a worldview and mindset. PhDs come to look at the world in different ways – not nec. better, but different. Find ways to facilitate that growth. Embrace philosophy of the big tent – faculty respect and support each other. If not able or willing to directly collaborate, still support each other’s traditions. M. Eisenberg 2009

46. And…Near Future Base programs more on an apprenticeship model – rather than many required courses and a set sequence, design for flexibility and alternative paths. Aim high and for the conceptual. The PhD is a research degree, not an advanced professional degree. . Be very careful in admissions – make sure there is a critical mass of faculty in an area that a student is interested in. And make sure that faculty in that area are committed to working with a student before admitting. Doctoral degree = “getting 3 regular faculty to agree with you.” Make sure there are at least 3! M. Eisenberg 2009

47. More Long Term • Help to build and champion this information field! • Look broadly at the academy and how it is changing and how society is changing. • Online learning • Social networking • Collaborative • Cross college, school, dept. • Cross-university • Business • Government • National & Global M. Eisenberg 2009

48. - Conclusion - M. Eisenberg 2009

49. Long Term It’s an information wonderland out there! Let’s take advantage of it. Think big and bold…not small and incremental. Promote what is uniquely “information” and then collaborate with others (music, business, medicine, law, anthropology, poetry, computer science, public affairs…almost anyone!) M. Eisenberg 2009

50. Opportunities What are the biggest, most pressing problems? Let’s tackle them! What do our universities and outside partners value (innovation, making a difference, collaboration, self-supported growth)? Let’s do that! M. Eisenberg 2009