LIB 2205ID LEARNING PLACES: UNDERSTANDING THE CITY

Course Description: This special topics course offers an interdisciplinary approach to investigating our built environment using a case study focused on a specific place each semester. This course combines physical examination with information research and data collection using methodologies developed in multiple disciplines. Students from a variety of departments engage in on-site exploration and in-depth research of a location in New York City. Faculty from the Library and Architectural Technology Departments are teaching the course this semester, and will thus focus course material through a lens of architecture, urban studies, and information studies.

Credits / Hours: 3 CREDITS (1 lecture hour and 4 lab/studio hours)

Section Number: OL 96

Prerequisites: ENG 1101

Course context: This special topics course is an Interdisciplinary Liberal Arts and Sciences Course that applies toward the BTech/BS General Education Common Core College Option requirements.

Course theme: This course focuses on the role of government and public authorities in transforming York City in the 20th century. Particular focus will be given to infrastructure development under Robert Moses from the 1930s to the 1950s.  The social, environmental and economic impacts of five projects — the 1939 World’s Fair, the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, the Gowanus Expressway, the Cross Bronx Expressway and Lincoln Center — will be examined.  Students will draw from course material and place-based learning experiences to create group projects that will illustrate these impacts.  

Group projects will begin with the submission of a research question and thesis for approval by course instructors.  Students will use resources provided and their own addition research as sources for developing their project.  Students will develop a research question, thesis and outline of the group project. 

Class Meetings

Online Space(s):

Faculty Information

Professor Jason Montgomery

Online Office Hours/Information:

  • Via Zoom Wednesdays 9:30am-11:30am
  • email for zoom link

In-person Office Hours/Location:

  • n/a

Contact Information

  • Email: jmontgomery@citytech.cuny.edu

Professor Susan Phillip

Online Office Hours/Information:

  • Tuesdays 4:00pm-5:00pm
  • Wednesdays 3:00pm-5:00pm

In-person Office Hours/Location:

  • n/a

Contact Information

Learning Outcomes

General Education Learning Outcomes / Assessment Methods

Learning OutcomesAssessment Methods 
Upon successful completion of this course the student shall be able to: To evaluate the students’ achievement of thelearning objectives, the professor will do thefollowing: 
1. Develop, purposefully connect and integrate knowledge from a range of architectural, urban studies, information science, and other disciplinary perspectives presented in the course. 1. Review the final report assignment to evaluate integrative, multidisciplinary thinking.  
2. Utilize skills in inquiry/analysis to derive meaning from experience as well as gather information from observation. 2. Review the students’ site documentation report,research notes, and diagrams 
3. Demonstrate and apply information literacy aptitude by gathering, interpreting, evaluating and applying information discerningly from a variety of sources. 3. Review the students’ research methodology proposal, annotated bibliography, and team research assignments to evaluate critical thinking and analysis across disciplines. 

Interdisciplinary Learning Outcomes / Assessment Methods

Learning OutcomesAssessment Methods 
Upon successful completion of this course thestudent shall be able to: To evaluate the students’ achievement of thelearning objectives, the professor will do thefollowing: 
1. Purposefully connect and integrate across-discipline knowledge and skills to solve problems. 1. Review student reflections and Wikipedia assignment to evaluate integrative, multidisciplinary thinking. 
2. Synthesize and transfer knowledge across disciplinary boundaries. 2. Review student reflections and the final reportassignment to evaluate integrative,multidisciplinary thinking
3. Comprehend factors inherent in complex problems. 3. Review the students’ research methodology proposal, and bibliography to evaluate critical thinking and analysis across disciplines. 
4. Think critically, communicate effectively, andwork collaboratively4. Review the students’ class participation and research notes and diagrams; review the final report to evaluate critical thinking, effective communication, and effective collaboration. 
5. Become flexible thinkers.5. Review the students’ site documentation report, notes, sketches, and photographs to evaluate the discovery process.

Course Intended Learning Outcomes / Assessment Methods

Learning OutcomesAssessment Methods 
Upon successful completion of this course thestudent shall be able to: To evaluate the students’ achievement of thelearning objectives, the professor will do thefollowing: 
1. Use the city as a laboratory for learning.1. Review the students’ site documentation reports, notes, sketches, and photographs to evaluate the care of observation and the reflection of important issues discovered. 
2. Develop a methodological approach to research. 2. Review the students’ research methodology proposal, annotated bibliography, and team research assignment to evaluate critical thinking and analysis across disciplines.  
3. Understand the cultural, social and economic processes that guide the physical development of the built environment. 3. Review the students’ research notes and diagrams; Review the team research assignment and the final report assignment to evaluate integrative, multidisciplinary thinking.  
4. Use analytical skills to investigate places4. Review the students’ site documentation report, notes, sketches, and photographs to evaluate the care of observation and the reflection of important issues discovered. 
 5. Develop, document, catalogue, and organize information to make it accessible to the public. 5. Review the students’ site documentation report, notes, sketches, and photographs to evaluate the care of observation and the reflection of important issues discovered; review the final report to evaluate integrative, multidisciplinary thinking. 
6. Apply observational skills to research and analysis. 6. Review the students’ notes, sketches, and photographs to evaluate the care of observation and the reflection of important issues discovered. 

Teaching/Learning Methods

This course combines a series of research seminars with fieldwork, site visits, and on and off campus research. Combinations of individual and team assignments as well as class participation are the basis for the final grade. The culmination of the weekly assignments is the final project, a podcast. The final project will be published on the Open Lab and will be accessible to the entire City Tech community.

Technology + Home Setup Requirements

  • Students need access to a device for video conference participation in the course meetings using Zoom.
  • Students need to access for internet research as well as digital tools for documentation and presentation.

Submission Formatting Requirements:

All assignments to be submitted to dropbox. See assignment guidelines for dropbox links.

Schedule

Topics will be covered in the order below unless otherwise noted during the semester. For more information see the detailed schedule on the Schedule page.

  • Stage I: Neighborhood Research
  • Stage II: Initial Site Research
  • Stage III: Final Site Research and Project

Grading Policy

  • 15%     Stage I Research Deliverables and Presentation
  • 30%     Stage II Research Deliverables and Presentation
    • 15% Research Materials + Analysis
    • 10% Research Question
    • 5% Presentation
  • 50%     Stage III Research Deliverables and Presentation
    • 15% Team Outline
    • 15% Team Annotated Bibliography
    • 15% Team Final Project (Multi-media Presentation)
    • 5% Team Participation Assessment
  • 5%      Participation + Class Reflections

Class Etiquette & Netiquette

All students are expected to attend all class sessions fully. It is preferred, but not required, for all students to have live video turned on during class time. All students are asked to manage their audio such that background noise does not distract from the class discussion or presentation.

Group presentations are a required aspect of this course. All students are expected to communicate fully with their group as required to prepare for all presentations. All students are expected to fully participate in the presentations.

Attendance/Participation

No more than 10% absences are permitted during the semester. For the purposes of record, two late arrivals are considered as one absence. Exceeding this limit will expose the student to failing at the discretion of the instructor due to lack of class participation and mastery of class material.

Academic Integrity Policy

Students and all others who work with information, ideas, texts, images, music, inventions and other intellectual property owe their audience and sources accuracy and honesty in using, crediting and citation of sources. As a community of intellectual and professional workers, the college recognizes its responsibility for providing instruction in information literacy and academic integrity, offering models of good practice, and responding vigilantly and appropriately to infractions of academic integrity. Accordingly, academic dishonesty is prohibited in The City University of New York and is punishable by penalties, including failing grades, suspension and expulsion. More information about the College’s policy on Academic Integrity may be found in the College Catalog. 

Course Resources

Course Readings & Viewings

Annotated Bibliography, City Tech Library:

http://libguides.citytech.cuny.edu/AnnotatedBibliography

Architectural Technology Subject Guide, City Tech Library:

http://libguides.citytech.cuny.edu/archtech

Beilinson, David, Michael Galinsky, and Suki Hawley. (2011). Battle for Brooklyn. (Use your Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, or Queens Library card to stream from your computer or mobile device, or view DVD #2919 in the Multimedia Resource Center of City Tech Library)

Digital Archives Materials, Purdue OWL:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/988/07

Evaluating Internet Sources, University of Illinois Libraries:

http://www.library.illinois.edu/export/ugl/howdoi/evaluate_internet.pdf

Evaluating Sources, City Tech Library:

http://library.citytech.cuny.edu/uploads/recap.pdf

Historic Maps as Historian’s Evidence, Newberry Library:

http://publications.newberry.org/frontiertoheartland/exhibits/show/perspectives/historicmaps/mapsasevidence

How Search Works, Google:

http://static.googleusercontent.com/media/www.google.com/en/us/intl/en/insidesearch/howsearchworks/assets/searchInfographic.pdf

How to Use Prezi, Oregon State University:

http://oregonstate.edu/tac/how-to-use/prezi

Introduction to Archives, Purdue OWL:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/988/01

Is It Plagiarism Yet? Purdue OWL:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/02

Making Sense of Maps, George Mason University and the American Social History Project, CUNY

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/maps

McCandless, David. “The Beauty of Data Visualization.” [Video]. Ted Talks. July 2010.

Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, Virginia Tech University Libraries:

http://www.lib.vt.edu/help/research/primary-secondary-tertiary.html

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing, Purdue OWL:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/563/01

Rothman, Joshua. “Why is Academic Writing So Academic.” New Yorker. 20 Feb. 2014.

http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/why-is-academic-writing-so-academic

Spatial Data on the Internet

http://library.columbia.edu/locations/dssc/data/spatialdata.html

Students Can’t Access Essential Research

http://www.righttoresearch.org/learn/problem/index.shtml

Vida Maliene, Vytautas Grigonis, Vytautas Palevičius, and Sam Griffiths. “Geographic Information System: Old Principles with New Capabilities.” URBAN DESIGN International 16.1 (2011): 1. (handout)

What are archives and how do they differ from libraries? Society of American Archivists: http://www2.archivists.org/usingarchives/whatarearchives

What is Zoning? Center for Urban Pedagogy: http://welcometocup.org/Projects/EnvisioningDevelopment/WhatIsZoning & http://welcometocup.org/file_columns/0000/0530/cup-whatiszoning-guidebook.pdf

Why and How to Avoid Plagiarism, City Tech Library: http://library.citytech.cuny.edu/instruction/plagiarism/index.php

ZoLa, New York City Zoning and Land Use Map: https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/about#9.72/40.7125/-73.733

What are archives and how do they differ from libraries? Society of American Archivists:

http://www2.archivists.org/usingarchives/whatarearchives

What are primary sources? Yale University Libraries:

http://www.yale.edu/collections_collaborative/primarysources/primarysources.html

Why and How to Avoid Plagiarism, City Tech Library:

http://library.citytech.cuny.edu/instruction/plagiarism/index.php

Digital Platforms & Databases

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals

https://library.citytech.cuny.edu/research/articles/avery-index-architectural-periodicals-ebsco

Carto

https://carto.com

NYPL Map Warper

http://dev.maps.nypl.org/warper

Prezi

https://prezi.com

Sketchup

http://www.sketchup.com

Social Explorer

https://library.citytech.cuny.edu/research/articles/social-explorer

Tableau Public

https://public.tableau.com/s

Urban Layers

http://io.morphocode.com/urban-layers

Bibliography

Devine, Jane, and Egger-Sider, Francine. Going Beyond Google Again: Strategies for Using and Teaching the Invisible Web. Chicago: ALA-Neal Schuman, 2013.

Jackson, Kenneth T. The Encyclopedia of New York City, 2nd edition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2010.

Miller, Kristine F. Designs on the Public: The Private Lives of New York’s Public Spaces. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2007.

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