This course builds an understanding of human behavior with interactive objects, focusing on how to develop and evaluate interactive software using a human-centered approach. This includes examining the many different types of interactive software, understanding the principles of effective graphical user interface design, evaluating human-centered software and software development and exploring aspects of collaboration and communication as they affect individual and group interaction with software systems.

Students learn the fundamentals of how the Internet works, gain practice with foundational technologies that power websites and learn how to solve problems like a programmer. A significant portion of he course covers web front-end design and development; students create a website using HTML/CSS, and are introduced to JavaScript language and responsive web design techniques. Topics include Internet history and structure, legal and ethical issues. No prior programming experience is required.

Examines classical and ethical and legal constructs as they pertain to current and topical issues. Students develop and articulate a personal point of view on a broad range of issues based on sound ethical principles and consider the impact of such views on co-workers, employers, and society in general. Topics also include: major social issues involving intellectual property, privacy, current U.S. and international relations relevant to ethical theories. The interplay between ethics and law is explored through current case studies and students formulate and support conclusions based on ethical constructs presented in class. Case study analysis is a major component in course delivery.

Introduction to Critical Inquiry provides the foundation for an informed and meaningful college experience through the cultivation of intellectual curiosity. Through the study of media and popular culture and the completion of short writing assignments, students learn how to develop and scale a personally-motivated research question, refine their topic, determine effective search strategies for finding credible and appropriate information, and learning to recognize bias and logical fallacies. Important aspects of the research process are learning how to analyze different types of argument and to evaluate information sources from a variety of venues. Critical Inquiry fosters the self-awareness and intellectual perspective that are the hallmarks of well-educated persons and lifelong, engaged students in the twenty-first century.