21st Century Information Workers: What Core Competencies Should MSIS Students Learn?

The day-to-day work of information workers charged with information creation, organization, presentation, preservation, analysis, and retrieval is changing dramatically because of rapid advances in technology, the ubiquitous availability of information, and the increasing diversity and globalization of users, patrons, and co-workers. Further, the jobs themselves are changing, such that information workers are not likely to focus on one traditional information task, but must integrate other knowledge and skills, such as data analysis (with large data) and social media. The array of jobs and tasks leads us to ask: what are the core competencies for all information studies students? The authors conducted a survey of more than 2,000 information professionals focusing on six information work roles (archivy, data analysis, librarianship, records/digital assets management, social media, and user experience) to find out about their day-to-day work and their recommendations for formal curriculum. In this special session, we will organize a lively discussion debating professionals’ conflicting recommendations for formal iSchool curriculum.ye

What can computer science learn from a fine arts approach to teaching?

This paper compares two curricular information technology programs, one that graduates a much higher percentage of women than the other. Although the two programs center on IT, they are quite different in how they are structured and how students are assessed. This paper compares the programs on two dimensions, knowledge sharing and assessment techniques, then suggests ways that CS instruction might borrow from the other in order to increase retention of women in CS. These include • allow students to hear each other articulate what they are learning; • begin lectures by telling students about the practical application of what will later be described at the abstract level; and • require that students display their solutions to the class and require that their classmates give them feedback