The class 6 modules as part of the overall framework. Within each module are topics and concepts that are designed to build upon each other to formulate a progressive understanding of the integration surrounding the 3 legs of the IST Triangle: user-to-information, information-to-technology, user-to-technology. In addressing these topics the flow of class is as follows.

We have started off looking at information and exploring the various types, forms, derivations, and use of information (what we have referred to as information ontology). This basically means defining and conceptualizing information to yield an understanding of what it is and what it is about in general.

From information ontology we have progressed to a more specific CORE topic for the class - human information processing (hip)- that takes information and looks at it from the human - user perspective. This topic provides a basis for understanding human-information behaviors and illuminates what information means to us and how we make sense of it from personal, cognitive, and social perspectives. We mentioned the phrase "Think not what is inside of your head but what your head is inside of." The HIP topic actually elaborates principles and processes of what does go on in our heads - treats the way we treat information metaphorically as input-processing-output - just as in the case of computer processing. User to information is thus encapsulated as how we use information that is outside of us - how we take it in and process it in our brain but that is not the whole story as the phrase says.

The next progression emphasizes "what the head is inside of". The write-up on what are entities focuses on terms such as problems, contexts, situations, domains, field of practices, etc. These are examples of what the head is inside of the demands and constraints placed on humans. So this topic focuses on the environmental influences upon us as human information processors as well as on systems, technologies, and entities. Contextual variation is what produces dynamics and unexpected consequences and in turn makes problems ill-defined, wicked, and hard to deal with. It is perhaps the most important part of the class - to become problem finders and then to define the complex elements of the problem. By understanding human factors and hip and by knowing the structure, content, constraints, and contingencies of a given domain, we can begin to consider the engineering of cognitive systems.

Once we have a layout and understanding of problems and context, it is useful to get a handle on what systems are, differences between closed, well defined systems, and open ill-defined systems, how dynamics and chaos in real world problems make most complex systems non-linear and emergent. We want to give you an understanding of systems theory, systems dynamics, and in turn an introduction to different kinds of analyses in looking at systems (i.e., systems analysis and tools) in real world domains with the intent to enable you to be systems analysts. Yet, one more important element remains to focus on that basically composes the 2nd leg of the IST triangle.

Information-to-technology concerns is the area that encapsulates computers, computing technologies, computer architectures, information systems, and so. We will look at this module by beginning with historical foundations of computers and then progressing to the architecture elements of computers and computing systems. Inclusive within this module are distributed computing using the web (web-based computing) and an introduction to the language of web-based computing (object-oriented programming). Many unfortunately and wrongly assume that IST is only about this particular module and the topics therein. But as you can see IST is much much and this is only part of the overall equation. To solve for the entire equation, many other variables must be considered and analyzed if you one wants to be an effective and useful systems analyst or system designer. If one jumps write into the computer-computer programming elements of ISR right off the bat they will produce "the WRONG system right". Information-technologies are very important and throughout the semester we will be looking at and assessing these systems in various environments for differing purposes to get a survey of use.

Hence, lets review where we stand to this point - we have looked at information, information ontologies, human information processing, problems, context, fields of practice, systems, system dynamics, chaos and non-linearity, systems analysis, cognitive systems engineering, computers and their historical significance, computing architectures, distributed networks and web-computing, and object oriented programming. By developing an understanding of these areas we can now have the necessary ingredients to go to the next level - a more advance understanding of IST in the form of integrating each leg of the triangle - human computer interaction.

We will begin to look at the integration of all the previous areas of study in form of human computer interfaces and really this is where we first begin to put analyses together with intent to create systems design. We will discuss human error, Fitt's Law, and begin looking at more applied examples of HCI. We will go more indepth to continue to introduce new knowledge related to cognitive systems engineering as a basis for creating systems designs. This will include topics such as information representation, modeling and simulation, usefulness-usability, www design and evaluation, and will conclude with study of advanced interface design inclusive of avatars, smart rooms, 3-D audio, virtual worlds). These kind of interfaces provide emphasis on the user-to-technology component of the IST triangle.

After HCI has been introduced and studied, we will turn our attention to more advanced levels of information technologies that now being used and developed. We will continue to keep HCI in mind but look at new areas cogent to integrating IST concerns such as decision support systems, AI, robots, a/v teleconferencing systems, distance learning, and computer-supported cooperative work. We will focus now on the design of socio-technical systems that include teams, socio-organizational constraints when considering advanced computing systems integration with humans in real world domains. Hence, much discussion will involve collaborative computing.

Evolving from socio-technical systems design we enter the final module for study this semester - information policy. This takes a societal view of computers and encourages the student to think about social and ethical consequences (and in turn policies) that govern computer use. A special topic of interest will be the areas of hacking and information warfare and how IST system designers need to prepare for the future of IST. Also inherent within this area socio-technical interests will be the study of knowledge management and how businesses and web-users can make way for the future use of KM in a highly complex world