Course Description

Technology is one aspect of the accelerating change that leaders must deal with.  Leadership responsibilities in organizations will increasingly influence, and be influenced by technology.  This course is designed to provide a foundation for understanding technology.  Change is so rapid, any specific technology you learn about in this course could be obsolete before the end of the semester and will likely be replaced by something newer, faster, and easier to use before you will actually use it.  Therefore the focus of the course is not on specific technologies or applications.  There is, however, an assumption that since Computer/Internet technology is likely to provide a foundation for some of the near future, everyone needs to have some familiarity with the vocabulary, basic concepts, and current applications associated with it.  The goal is to provide everyone with a sufficiently solid foundation that they can then keep up with the technology as it evolves.

The course is intended to reflect upon the content of nearly every other course in the Doctoral Program in Leadership.  Technology can impact every discipline, but has special implications for leadership and organizational change.  The "Leadership and Technology Project" for this course is designed to allow students to explore the implications of technology in her or his chosen field..

 

SESSIONS 1 AND 2
Introduction to the essential elements of hardware, systems software, application software, data-communication, networking, and the Internet. 

Session 1: Jan 12, Technology and Computers

Session 2: Jan 19, The Internet and the Future of the Internet

SESSION 3
Best guesses about the implications of technology for the workplace in general and the education sector in particularly. 

Session 3: Feb 2, Technology and the Workplace, Technology and Education

SESSIONS 4 and 5
The explosion of information and increasing complexity pose special problems and opportunities for organizations that are explored in sessions four and five.  Session four examines learning organizations and the use of technology by leaders trying to create them. The focus of session five is on knowledge management with a particular focus on learning organizations. Session five also examines GIS as an example of Information Management. Do not expect easy answers!

Session 4: Feb 16, Learning Organizations and Technology

Session 5: Mar 2, The Information Explosion, Knowledge Management, and GIS

SESSIONS 6 AND 7
Session six examines the implications of history for the future and considers a range of views by different individuals thinking about technology's impact on society.  Session seven deals with the moral dilemmas arising from technology, ranging from implications for social justice of inequitable access to technology to issues of censorship, privacy, ownership and dissemination of information, etc.

Session 6: Mar 16, Technology and Society

Session 7: Mar 30, Technology and Ethics

SESSION 8
The final session use the project presentations as a way to explicitly explore the relationship between leadership, organizations, and technology.  Consideration will be given to strategies leaders can use to stay informed about technological changes.

Session 8: April 6, Technology and Leadership

The work of David Dean and Stan Hatch, under the direction of Michael McFarland, S.J., are acknowledged for their work on the overall design of the Spring 2000 course and identification of many of the specific activities and readings.

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Course Objectives

By the end of the course the student will be able to:

1. Define selected concepts relevant to the Technology environment.
2. Identify critical issues pertinent to  technological change and discuss their implications for individuals and society
3. Identify key issues relating to the ethics of technology
4. Discuss the role and requirements of leaders in environments being impacted by Technology.

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Web Based Syllabus

This syllabus is still under construction . Expect modification in topics and presenters throughout the term in response to student input and feedback. Post your suggestions (what works, doesn't work, or fails the "entertainment" test) on the Blackboard Discussion Board--suggestions for improving the course forum.  Major changes after December 26 will be listed in the Announcements on Blackboard.  Each time we make a change in the syllabus after December 15, we will note it with a , , or  icon and the date.  The date at the bottom of the page  indicates the date on which the syllabus was last changed.  Each time you view the syllabus page, click on "reload" in Netscape and "refresh" in Internet Explorer to ensure that you have the most recently updated version.
Other icons used on this page:
READ ME!! Required reading.  Hard Copy.  Required Book
READ ME!! Required reading.  On-line.
Audio file, LISTEN TO ME!!
SAMPLE/Scan/Brief-look  Means what it says.
Needs a FAST connection.  If you have a slow connection, you may want to do this in the lab.
In-Class Activity.  We will be doing this in Class but you should feel free to try it before class.
  OPTIONAL
Not to be missed.
More Information about a topic.  OPTIONAL.
SOFTWARE--Where special software (plug-ins) is required to view or listen to materials, links are provided for downloading it. These include Real, MS Word reader, and Flash.

Both Netscape and Internet Explorer support bookmarks.  Bookmarks are called "Bookmarks" in Netscape and "Favorites" in Internet Explorer.  Bookmarks make it easy to jump directly to that page without having to navigate the Web or type in the address each time.  To Bookmark a page in Netscape, pull down the Bookmarks menu, click Add Bookmark. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, pull down the Favorites menu, click Add to Favorites, click OK.

It will make it easier to return to the course syllabus and the Discussion Board for the class if you add these to your "bookmarks" or "favorites."

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Required Texts Final as of Dec 20, 2000

Burke, J., & Ornstein, R. (1995). The Axemaker's Gift: A Double-edged History of Human Culture. Madison, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons; $15.95, ISBN 0-399-14088-3

Dyson, Esther (1998). Release 2.1 : A Design for Living in the Digital Age. Broadway Books;  $14.00, ISBN 076790012X

James, J. (1996). Thinking in the Future Tense: Leadership Skills for a New Age. New York: Simon and Schuster; $12.00, ISBN: 0684832690

Kennedy, Angus J. (2000) The Rough Guide to the Internet.  2001 Edition.  London and New York: Rough Guide; $9.95  ISBN 1-85828-551-8

Senge, Peter (1990). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization ISBN 0-385-26095-4

Shelly, Gary B., Cashman,  Thomas J., Vermaat, Misty E. (2000) Discovering Computers 2001 Concepts for a Connected World Brief Edition ISBN: 0-7895-5938-2

OPTIONAL TEXT IN PLACE OF Kennedy (2000)
Hofstetter, F. T., & Sine, P. (1998). Internet Literacy. New York: McGraw-Hill; $48.00 ISBN 0-07-029387-2
(Very well written and wonderfully illustrated book, a protype for books of the future, but slightly out of date with new edition not due until April 2001)

Byrne, Jeffry (1999) Easy Microsoft Access 2000. ISBN 0-7897-1902-9

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Assessment and Grading

Everyone who completes all assignments and actively participates in class and on the Discussion Board can expect an A.  Students who do not complete all the assignments by Session 8, can expect an Incomplete until the assignments are done.  Assignment delays due to technology problems are understood and even expected.  Timely completion of assignments is critical for both the individual and the other members of the class.   Late assignments not based on technology can reduce your grade by a half letter (for example A to A-).  It is important to keep up.