MARA 289 International Experience Requirement

Overview

International Experience Requirement — MARA 289

(Effective for students entering in Spring 2015 or later)

Our graduates should be leaders who will be cognizant of and sensitive to the requirements of changing realities in the international community.

Strategic Direction 2.3 of the School of Information Strategic plan is to:

Promote internationalization in courses through content, assignments, internships, and professional contacts of iSchool faculty.

Therefore, it is important that graduates:

  • Display the ability to think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives.
  • Appreciate and demonstrate the capacity to apply international standards and practices within our professional area.
  • Appreciate the relationship between their field of study and professional traditions elsewhere.
  • Value diversity of language and culture.

There are two ways to accomplish this:

Real mobility: when students travel abroad for placements or for full programs of study.

Virtual mobility: experienced through online experiences. Virtual mobility can be defined as the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to obtain the same benefits as one would have with physical mobility but without the need to travel.

Effective for students entering from Spring 2015 the School of Information online students will demonstrate in their culminating e-Portfolio that they meet the international requirement through Core Competency (Program Learning Outcome) J (see below) by means of virtual mobility. There is no requirement to physically travel.

Competency J (for students entering the School of Information Spring 2015 or later)

Students entering the School of Information from Spring 2015 onwards will address Comp J in their e-Portfolio as outlined below. They will not provide a separate statement of professional philosophy.

Statement of Core Competency J: (For students entering from Spring 2015 forward) Describe global perspectives on effective information practices that are supportive of cultural, economic or social well-being. 

Competency J has three parts: The Interpretation, Supporting Evidence, and Conclusion sections.

In the Interpretation (explication) section, students need to do the following:

  1. Articulate your understanding of what it means to contribute to the cultural, economic, educational, and social well being of our global communities. Be sure to show that you can do the following:
  • think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives
  • apply international standards and practices within the discipline or professional area
  • appreciate the relationship between your field of study and professional traditions elsewhere
  • value the diversity of language and culture

In the evidence section, students need to do the following:

  • Provide one or more artifacts that serve as evidence to demonstrate the ability to do the following:
    • think globally and consider issues from a variety of perspectives
    • apply international standards and practices within the discipline or professional area
    • appreciate the relationship between your field of study and professional traditions elsewhere
    • value the diversity of language and culture

  • For each artifact, build a convincing argument that contains the following two parts:

    • a description of the context and content of the artifact
    • an argument in which you specifically explain how this artifact proves you are competent in this area

In the Conclusion section, students need to do the following:

  • Explain this competency in relation to your professional goals as they relate to the specific type(s) of organization(s) in which you intend to pursue a career.
More on Evidence

Evidence can be provided in a variety of ways:

You do not have to take a full class to meet the competency. You can meet it with one or two assignments that focus on a global perspective. Many classes will contain some of the following components as part of the class:

  • The use and analysis of international case studies
  • Study of professional practice in other nations or cultures
  • Linked assignments (taking an existing assignment and linking it to a new outcome with an international or intercultural dimension)

Some content in the following MARA classes is relevant:

MARA 200: The Record and the Recordkeeping Professions

Following the completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Evaluate the history of the archival and record-keeping professions in North America as a successor and beneficiary of Ancient and European traditions
  • Analyze the changing nature of “the record” and communication methods throughout the ages and globally
  • Compare and contrast national and international archival and records/information management industry standards and best practices
  • Discuss the impact emerging technologies are having on the way archival organizations engage users/consumers and provide access to their holdings
  • Explain the notion of power, politics, justice and human rights framed within the global context of archives and recordkeeping
  • Outline the importance of long-term preservation/curation from a global perspective
  • Judge and critique three archival institutions’ website presences (both nationally and globally) and assess the institutions’ use of social media tools and technologies

MARA 283: Enterprise Content Management and Digital Preservation

This course presents theoretical principles and practical aspects of digital content management and preservation. It explores challenges related to multiple file formats, standards, and retention requirements. It provides hands-on experience using both a digital content management system and a trusted digital repository.

International Aspect: Archivists and records and information managers often work for organizations that operate in more than one country. Students can gain International experience in a variety of ways. Three examples follow. 1) Students in this course are added to the MARA Database of ISO Standards (International Organization for Standardization). Throughout the course discussions and assignments relate to internationally accepted records management and digital preservation standards and compare and contrast those to standards developed by the US as well as those developed by other countries; for example, Australia and the UK. 2) Students explore issues related to eDiscovery that cross national boundaries; for example, one discussion ensued around a hacking scheme uncovered by a journalist in Canada that revealed hacking of a toy manufacturer from Hong Kong. This data breach impacted customers in three dozen countries, including the US. A discussion of the legal implications for the parent firm as well as the steps taken to protect the customers took place. 3) A mid-term paper or project can be designed by the student to explore international aspects of enterprise content management, such as developing a file plan and retention schedule for a company with branches in multiple countries.

All content in the following INFO electives is relevant (but it is not necessary to take one of these classes to meet the requirement-individual assignments in other classes can be used for evidence):

Intercultural Communication

Identify and solve cultural differences so essential for navigating a flat world. This course is designed to give students very practice tools to understand the worldview and experiences of others. They will learn about the differences between individual and collective cultures, why saving face can be more important than being right, how power is distributed differently between groups, and how various people rely on certain values for avoiding or dealing with conflict.

Globalization and Information

Provides an overview of the influence of globalization on the generation, organization, access, transfer and use of information. Examines issues of globalization within the context of an information society, particularly on political, economic, technological, and socio-cultural issues.

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