Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration Fall 2014 Technology for the Public Service Sector 40:834:304.

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1 Instructor: Daniel R Villanueva MPA Fall Syllabus Course Description: Many local, state and federal government agencies, as well as non-profit organizations are facing the daunting task brought on by an increasingly diversifying constituency and sponsorship base. Government and private organizations are recognizing the benefits of data driven decision making. Students and professionals in the public sector are poised at the threshold between public organizations and private citizens and constituent. As such, many government agencies are deploying various business and strategic systems into their operations to improve data integrity in order to better serve its constituency. The courses will be conducted in a computer lab setting in order to familiarize students with the process of collecting data from various sources accessible through the Internet. The course introduces various technologies public organizations may deploy to collect, manage, and disseminate information to better inform and administer public services in this era of globalization and population diversity. Students will be led through a number of activities to search out and distinguishing qualified information; to collect and manage data using standard business software application; and to produce and present information from the research conducted in class. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to distinguish qualified information; be able to collect, analyze and report the state of various groups within the constituency in which the students operate; and will have begun to collect a range of literature that will serve as reference for informing and advancing their personal perspectives. Goal: To prepare public service agents to be a corner stone for information management and data driven decision making (DDDM) support. Moreover, it will prepare students to become an effective technologist to facilitate and guide end users, external partners and contractors that provide technological services for the organization. The ultimate goal of the course is to prepare future public service professionals to be qualified information resource by becoming proficient in determining, collecting, managing and presenting information to all levels of constituents. Course Objectives: The goal of this course is achieved through the following objectives: 1. Expose students to the vast amounts of information on the Internet; 2. Guide students to distinguish quality information from malformed, biased rhetoric; 3. Provide a forum for students to exercise basic techniques to facilitate: Acquisition of qualified information. Organizing and maintaining data Analyzing data to produce pertinent information Presenting information for peers/colleagues and for the public on the Internet Course Design: This course is designed to provide students entering the field of Public Service with a basic foundation to understand how to collect, maintain, analyze and present qualified information for the purpose of informing data driven decision making (DDDM) as well as for personal knowledge development. Through the use of modern technologies, public service agents can better manage its limited resources and also compete for resources to support or fund operational objectives that are expected to improve service delivery. Students are introduced to common desktop technologies such as computer systems, networks, and software applications that are incorporated to aid students collect, organize and analyze data and information from the

2 Internet. Students are led through lectures and practical exercises on determining and collecting qualified information from internet resources by using browsers and internet websites in order to develop and enhance the students ability to increase their knowledge base. Then several software applications are explored to format, organize and analyze the collected information to learn how to use spreadsheets and databases. The students will be required to produce several Individual Projects. These projects will be measured to determine 1. Students ability to select qualified information sources {Browsers-Internet-Search-Advanced Search techniques} 2. Organize and format the information {tables-queries-filters-forms-reports}, 3. Analyze and present new perspectives for others {graphs-charts-functions-formulas} 4. Save into a digital file format {.xlsx,.accdb, html, xml, pdf, asp, php} The course discussions also focus on different Internet technologies, such as web site design using content management systems (CMS) (eg. Drupal, Wordpress, Java) ; Cloud computing, enterprise resources planning (ERP), and Customer Relation Management (CRM) systems ; social networking (eg. Web2.0, Blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) ; and smart technologies for mobile devices (eg. Smart phones, tablets and widgets apps). Course Requirements: This course requires familiarity of computer use, desktop systems and basic knowledge of networking and Internet technologies. Basic knowledge including keyboarding, keyboard short cuts, mouse click/right click, drag/drop, and copy/paste operations of a basic computer user. As such, it requires students to be able to quickly select qualified data sources, move between features of the software application, and review the data in order to ascertain pertinent information presented before them. Since the course employs hands-on exercises that lead students in engaging data to produce information, attendance is absolutely necessary. Course Material: Book: Fluency 4: With Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, & Capabilities by Lawrence Snyder Pearson: Addison-Wesley (ISBN-13: )-(ISBN-10: ) Personal Computer, Internet Access, MS Office 2010 Academic Code of Conduct Plagiarism Grading: Based on student s performance in the class as follows: Attendance Class Participation and In-class Exercises for DDDM software applications (25%) 3 Data Driven Projects using common business software applications (30%) Project Presentation presenting references to on-line information resource regarding some contemporary issue (15%) Final Paper based on knowledge of technologies covered in class (30%) Student Learning Outcomes: Gain understanding of technology that young professionals emerging from a notable research institutions such as Rutgers, will be called on to manage from institutional data, desktop systems, application support, maintenance life-cycle, security, and networking infrastructures. Basic data mining, data analysis concepts (collect, qualify, organize, maintain, analyze) Distinguish and critically analyze quality of information garnished from Internet resources. Format & present electronic information for peers and the general public

3 Sept. 4, 2014 Sept. 4 Sept. 11 Sept. 11 Sept. 18 Sept. 18 Sept. 25 Fall 2014 Course Schedule Intro to Technology in Public Service: Introduction of topics of discussion throughout course Overview of topics covered throughout the course. Hardware assets and resources: (Desktops / Servers / Networking / Mobile Devices) Operating Systems and Software Applications: Security-Privacy- Digitizing Paper Records-Backup & Disaster Recovery Data and Information Systems: Data Integrity (available-accessible-accurate-contemporary-pertinent) ; Determining quality of data on the Internet Research & Information Resources: The Internet Peer reviewed research Social Media Professional websites Group/Individual Project: Chapter 1 Chapter 1, 2, 3 Chapters 7, 8 & 12 Chapter 5 Searching, Reviewing, Collecting and Analyze data about a city or growing urban center Data Analysis software Sept. 25 Oct. 2 Oct. 2 MS Excel Spreadsheet Applications Introduction to Data Analysis using a spreadsheet application. Exercise: MS Excel Spreadsheet Application EXERCISE: CITY BUDGET Using spreadsheet application (functions/formulas) Exercise: MS Excel Spreadsheet Application Using spreadsheet application (formatting/graphing) Pivot Tables/Pivot Graphs Chapter 13 & 14 Chapter 13 & 14

4 Oct. 9 Oct. 16 Oct. 16 Oct. 23 Oct. 23 Group/Individual Project: Using MSExcel Databases Systems: Design, organizing, collecting, and managing Information development of DBMS SQL and Object Oriented Data Structures MS Access Relational Database Application Introduction to Database Management Systems MS Access Constructing Objects of a Relational Database Management System Tables Queries MS Access Constructing Objects of a Relational Database Management System Forms Reports Chapter 15 & 16 Chapter 15 & 16 Oct. 30 Nov. 6 Group/Individual Project: Using MS Access Database Discussion of E-Government/E-Governance/E-Democracy E-Government/E-Governance, Webpages, {css, html, xml, php, asp, jpeg/mpeg}website Layout, Content Management Systems (Drupal, WordPress) Nov. 6 Group/Individual Project: Using MS eportfolio- Produce a collection of information in an electronic content management system (Blackboard). Each page will display the student s breadth of knowledge surveyed, collected for reference, summarized and re-evaluated/represented by the student. Personal eportfolios: Work with your group to collect data on growing Urban Center or City that focuses on one of the following issues important for the development of urban system (Start by collecting vital Demographics data then focus your research one of the following: Economy, Education, Health, Environment) Nov. 13 Security: Network Security, Desktop Security Chapter 12 Nov. 13 Managing Information and the Human Computer Interface resources Chapter 2 & 11 Nov. 20 Web Systems Chapter 4 & 9

5 Nov. 20 Nov. 27, 2014 Dec. 4, Dec. 4 Dec. 11 Hardware Network Connection Security L.A.M.P. Linux-Apache-MySQL-PhP Application developments: Open Source: Java/Python/XML Internet Application Technologies: Cloud Google Apps Software as a Service (SaaS) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Customer Relation Management (CRM) Content Management Systems (CMS) Geospatial Information System (GIS) Broadband Networking Media Technologies: Thanksgiving Recess NO CLASS {wired (copper or fiber), Teleco/Cable Co., wireless, LTE} Mobil Computing: Smart Phones Mobil Apps Ground Positioning System (GPS) TeleWork/Telecommute: Video Conferencing (SKYPE), Viber (Free texting), NetMeeting, Final eportfolio Project Due (No Class: Reading Period) Chapter 10& 17 Dec. 18, 2014 (TENTATIVE) FINAL EXAM 6:20pm 9:20pm (TENTATIVE)