Engineering > Architecture > Special Problems in Architecture Studies

Special Problems in Architecture Studies posted by duggu on 11/29/2007

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Course Highlights

This intensive e-Learning seminar focuses heavily on the design of sites for learning, and features some interesting student projects as examples of the class's work. Also, several labs involving UML and XML provide in-depth instruction on creating sites as discussed in the class.

Course Description

The course investigates e-Learning systems from a business, policy, technical and legal perspective. The issues presented will be tackled by discussion of the design and structure of the various example systems. The connection between information architectures and the physical workplace of the users will also be examined. The course will be comprised of readings, discussions, guest speakers and group design sessions. Laboratory sessions will be focused on implementation tools and opportunities to create one's own working prototypes. Students will learn to describe information architectures using the Unified Modeling Language (used to specify, design and structure web applications) and XML (to designate meaningful content).

Syllabus

The E-Commerce Architecures seminar will explore the information architectures of virtual spaces. This seminar provides an academic as well as practical approach to architecting e-Commerce systems, with special emphasis on the fast emerging web-based education market.

The course will investigate e-Learning systems from a business, policy, technical and legal perspective. The issues presented shall be tackled by discussion of the design and structure of the various example systems. The connection between information architectures and the physical workplace of the users will also be examined. There course will be comprised of readings, discussions, guest speakers and group design sessions. Laboratory sessions will be focused on implementation tools and opportunities to create one's own working prototypes. Students will learn to describe information architectures using the Unified Modeling Language (used to specify, design and structure web applications) and XML (to designate meaningful content).

A cross-disciplinary approach will be taken; students with background in architecture, urban planning, law, cognition, business, digital media and computer science are encouraged to participate. No prior technical knowledge is necessary, though a rudimentary understanding of web page creation is helpful. The final project may be a paper or computer implementation.

PART 1


LEC #	TOPICS	READINGS	ASSIGNMENTS


1	Introduction


2	Run Through Example E-Commerce and E-Learning Sites: Discerning the Architecture and Business Model	Reader, Part 3: USER CENTERED DESIGN Norman, Donald A. Invisible Computer. O'Reilly. Web Navigation. Reader Part 5: BUSINESS CONTEXT Bangs, David. The Business Planning Guide. Neumann. Computer Related Risks.	Define an "exchange" and a "market" in e-commerce. Start by searching the web. Check out secondary sources too (magazine stands, text books, dictionaries, etc.). Explain how and by whom these words are used differently and when they are used interchangeably: An Exchange is: A Market is: (Extra Credit: A Business Model is:)


3	Introduction to eLearning and other Multi-User Environments	Mitchell, William J. City of Bits. http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/City_of_Bits/	Pick up any one idea from the lecture and model a quick website, using the principles discussed today.


4	User Interface Design: Defining Requirements and Determining Form Introduction to Modelling tools	Reader, Part 1: SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS Weigers, Karl. The Essential Software Requirement. Kovitz, Benjamin L. Practical Software Requirements. Reader, Part 2: UML AND USE CASES Booch, Grady, James Rumbaugh, and Ivar Jacobson. UML User Guide. O'Reilly. UML in a Nutshell. Schneider, Geri, and Jason P. Winters. Applying Use Cases. Rosenberg, Doug. Use Case Driven Object Modeling with UML. Conallen, Jim. Building Web Applications with UML. Douglass, Bruce Powel. Real-time UML. Harmon, Paul, and Mark Watson. Understanding UML.	Go through the UML lab.


5	"Politics of Search Engines"	Introna, Lucas, and Helen Nissenbaum. Shaping the Web: Why the Politics of Search Engines Matters.	Mid-term preparation.

PART 2


	LEC #				TOPICS


	XML LABORATORY


	6				Knowledge Management and Intellectual Property


	XML AND JAVA LABORATORY


	7				Legal Issues: Payment/Security options, Authentication/Privacy


	8				Workplace/School place of the Future: Relationship Between Physical Space of Virtual Environments


	9				Coming to Agreement/Agreeing to Disagree: How to Manage Relationships Online


	10				User Interface Revisited: Using Underlying Architecture to Support and Reflect Business and Design Goals


	11				Final Presentations

Calendar