1. Introductions and personal goals
2. Course overview (syllabus and notes on WWW)
3. Assignments and labs
a. Subscribe to inls180_001_s04
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b. Search the web for definitions of three terms:
information
communication
interaction
For each term, decide which definition you like best, and post it to the class
list. Be sure to give the source of the definition!
c. Term Projects (see syllabus)
d. Readings
Reading assignments—everybody poses a question on each reading to the
list. Each group discusses questions of interest and one person summarizes the
discussion verbally.
4. Reading responsibilities: (discuss groups)
Readings for Next week:
Read for next meeting:
Pierce, J. (1972) Communication. Scientific American, 227(3), 31-41 [consider
the lens of 30 years]
Optional: Weaver, W. (1949). Recent contributions to the mathematical theory
of communication. In, The mathematical theory of communication. Urbana, IL:
U. of Illinois Press. [Read Chapter 1]
5. Introduction to Information and Communication Theory
Information senses:
Thing/object (what we handle, transmit, store)
Process (act of informing)
The change in mental state (signal—data—information—knowledge—wisdom)
Signal (mass/energy)
Data (ordered mass/energy)
Information (data in a human)
Knowledge (formalized information and skills—represented mentally and/or
physically)
Wisdom (the experience to know the differences)
Communication senses:
Process involving:
Two or more (human) participants (sender/receiver, creator/audience, etc.)
Sender (initiator, creator, etc.) has intention
Receiver’s mental state changes
Time ranges from 0+ to infinite
May be unidirectional
Object (e.g., document)
Interaction senses:
Mutual (reciprocal) action (process)
Two or more objects (often we are concerned with one being human)
Either may initiate, may be unintentional/random
States of both objects change
Time ranges from 0+ to infinite (but most often concerned with small latencies)
Always bidirectional (feedback required, typically multiple cycles)
What might it mean to interact with information? Does information change when
we ‘interact’ with it?
How does digital information affect the possibilities of interaction?
For HII do we also include the inferences and uses made of information?
Shannon’s information theory.
6. One-minute paper concept
What was the big point you learned in class today?
What is the main, unanswered question you leave class with today?