The recent explosion of Internet technologies, including powerful new application tools such as Java, has ushered in a new era for network
collaboration, an era in which emerging information and communication tools are being used to create new models of group cooperation and social interaction across a network that have never before been possible.This
course will provide information professionals with a sound understanding of these emerging network collaboration technologies and their potential for creating a new generation of highly efficient and effective
distributed organizations.
It will a) provide a framework for understanding both the technological and the social dimensions of these technologies b) show how they build upon, complement, or even supersede older
network tools like e-mail and the world-wide-web, and c) illustrate the opportunities they create for enhancing old information services or developing new ones.
Discussions will include: Asynchronous vs.
Synchronous collaboration; Anatomy of a collaborative application - Social interaction and networking architecture; Implementation of collaborative applications Asynchronous communication and document sharing;
Approaches to Synchronous Collaboration... and more.
Upon completion, students will understand the underlying concepts of network collaboration, appreciate the potential of the emerging technologies for changing the
information and communication landscape, and be able to accurately assess the value of new products in this burgeoning field as they arrive. It will provide information professionals with the essential knowledge
they need to plan intelligently for the use of these technologies within their organizations or in creating new information services.
This course is designed for information professionalsat all levels, but especially
those who have some involvement in or responsibility for upgrading, redesigning, or replacing their organization's information infrastructure, including either its internal or its external (e.g. with customers and
clients) aspects.
