Spring 2025 Courses

Intro to Information Studies | ILS 10000

Bethany McGowan | Victoria Dawkins

Introduction to Information Studies will provide a foundation for navigating and engaging with the information-rich world. Students will define and assess information in order to address real-world situations; map their information landscape and effectively engage with information systems as well as human sources of information; develop a practice of critical and ethical information use; and conceptualize, apply, and examine the strategies for information and knowledge management, production, and dissemination. Students will examine the societal impact and implications of information and information privilege to explore the applications and consequences of information, in addition to examining data practices and methods. This will provide students with an opportunity to strengthen their research and information literacy skills, reflect in an informed and critical manner, and give them the tools to successfully make ethical, evidence-based decisions in the academic and professional context.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	29478-001	ASYNC ONLINE		3.0	Full Term

Intro Data Lifecycle Mgmt | ILS 10300

Chao Cai | Jing Lu

Introduces concepts of the management of data throughout its lifecycle. Understanding different types of data and their functions. Managing data in the context of a particular discipline or profession. Finding and evaluating data purposefully. Using data ethically and responsibly. Creating and sharing data for reuse, accountability, and enhancement. Making decisions and communicating using data, including data analysis and visualization. Protecting and archiving data. This course is currently required for and restricted to the Engineering in the World of Data LC. Additional sections are offered for students not in the LC.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	17377-002	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term
DIS	29458-003	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Prepare for Undergrad Research | ILS 18000

JJ Sadler | Amy Childress

This course is for prospective Purdue undergraduate researchers who are interested in conducting undergraduate research or creative endeavors. Purdue students who have not already started an independent research project with a research mentor will learn valuable skills to market themselves to individuals and research programs. Throughout the course, students will develop components for a final application packet to submit to a research team or program they choose.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	16928-001	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Intro To Digital Humanities | ILS 20100

This course examines concepts of trust and authority and uses them to promote critical thinking and assessments regarding credibility. Authoritative information sources, evaluative criteria, and technical tools will be enumerated and discussed as students work through a research issue of personal interest. Topics include: what is trust and why is it significant, what types of authority exist and what specifically is cognitive authority, how is in-person trust and authority different from digital trust, when does credibility matter and what are criteria for determining credibility, how and where is quality information found, techniques of the nefarious (cons, scams, spam, phishing etc.), considerations of a skeptical consumer (research project). This course is designed to help lower-level undergraduate students think deeply about trust, authority, evaluation, and quality, topics that they may not have consciously considered or studied previously.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	32291-001	TR 03:00-04:15 PM	BRNG B260	3.0	Full Term

Data Science & Society: ELSI | ILS 23000

Melissa Chomintra | Michael Fosmire | Jerilyn Tinio

This course provides an introduction to Ethical, Legal Social Issues (ELSI) in Data Science. Students will be introduced to interdisciplinary theoretical and practical frameworks that can aid in exploring the impact and role of Data Science in society. This is a writing intensive course. Students will work individually and on collaborative assignments.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	23991-001	ASYNC ONLINE	3.0	Full Term
DIS	24369-003	ASYNC ONLINE	3.0	Full Term
DIS	29457-005	ASYNC ONLINE	3.0	Full Term

SPIRaL, Part 2: Conducting Information Literacy Research | ILS 23600

Clarence Maybee | Rachel Fundator

Over the course of a year-long research experience, SPIRaL undergraduate researchers engage in original research to investigate how information literacy–in its many forms–can inform real-world solutions to contemporary information challenges, such as mis/disinformation. The second semester of SPIRaL builds upon the work completed in the previous semester. We will spend the first half of the semester analyzing the data collected last semester. We will then present our research approach, findings, and implications in various scholarly venues.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	28237-001	M 01:30-02:20 PM	STEW 142	1.0	Full Term

Intro to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | ILS 25000

Jing Lu | Innocensia Owuor

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) plays an important role in many disciplines as a tool for data management, query, visualization, and analysis. It can be used for natural resource management, environmental studies, agriculture, as well as social and political studies. This course will introduce students the basic knowledge about GIS, including the fundamental concepts of GIS, data models and management strategies, as well as some basic spatial analysis skills. Practical work will be introduced and completed using Esri ArcGIS Pro software.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	28127-009	M 01:30-02:20 PM	KRAN 250	3.0	Full Term
REC	28137-012	R 10:30-11:20 AM	KRAN 250	3.0	Full Term
LAB	28136-011	R 11:30-01:20 PM	KRAN 250	3.0	Full Term

Understand Undergrad Research I | ILS 28000

JJ Sadler | Amy Childress

This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to hone skills necessary for successfully reflecting on and completing the experience. During this course, students will utilize their research experience to apply skills such as managing time with a research project, communicating your research, utilizing Purdue Libraries’ resources, and providing feedback to peer researchers. Students will deliver research pitches about their own project and provide critiques to others’ pitches.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	16932-001	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Information, Culture and Society | ILS 30000

Annette Bochenek | Andrea Hayes

Information and information systems shape our beliefs, influence decision-making, define our collective knowledge, and are integral to being an informed, responsible, and engaged citizen in our modern world. This course will examine the intricate relationship between information and society to better understand how information ecosystems, constituted by various technologies and practices, shape and are shaped by individual identities, structures of power, and ethical considerations/human values. Using an interdisciplinary and team-based approach, students will gain essential skills to navigate their information-rich world.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	28243-001	ASYNC ONLINE		3.0	Full Term

Data Foundations, Tools, and Applications | ILS 30100

Sarah Huber | Spencer Stewart

Data are everywhere. Data permeates every aspect of our lives, from journalistic reporting to workplace projects to artificial intelligence applications. This course covers the basics of the data research lifecycle, including locating and managing datasets, along with applying different methods and tools a to craft compelling stories about data. Students will learn the difference between data and information and how to transform raw data into information to be communicated to a wider audience. This course offers unique skills for students from any discipline who want to discover the world of data.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	29980-001	ASYNC ONLINE		3.0	Full Term

Conspiracy Theories | ILS 33100

Matt Hannah

In the information age, we have witnessed a dramatic resurgence of paranoia and violence, fueled by the very technologies meant to provide access to knowledge and information. In this course, we will uncover conspiracies together, seeking to understand how such strange ideas originate and spread.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	28244-001	TR 01:00-02:15	STEW 142	3.0	Full Term

Understand Undergrad Research II | ILS 38000

JJ Sadler | Amy Childress

This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to build upon the previous course and focus on research data collection, presentation, and communication for current Purdue undergraduate researchers. During this course, students will learn and discuss various forms of data and collection practices. Students will develop their own academic poster to present their research project’s data and implications. Students are encouraged to present their poster at one of Purdue’s undergraduate research conferences near the end of the semester.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	19635-001	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Understanding Your Resrch Data | ILS 39500

Wei Zakharov

ILS 395 is offered as a complement to GS 395, Understanding Your Undergraduate Research. This course provides an introduction to principles of data management and organization, data analysis and visualization, and ethical and social implications of data science, providing a strong foundation for subsequent coursework. This course focuses on proper organization, management, visualization, preservation, communication, and ethical use of data. Students will apply their own research experiences in data management topics through readings, videos, discussion, lectures, guest speakers, and hand-on activities in class. They will develop an ability to locate, access, transform, and evaluate data to answer research questions. Students will communicate the results of their data searches, and format the data for sharing.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	17633-001	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Beyond Undergrad Research | ILS 48000

JJ Sadler | Amy Childress

This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers to build on previous courses and focus on continuing their education in graduate or professional school. During this course, students will learn and discuss the various phases of identifying, selecting, applying to and funding graduate or professional school programs. Students will also gain a deeper comprehension of the qualities and skills that make research mentors effective while developing skills they will need to be successful mentees and peer mentors. Students will conduct research to identify potential programs of interest and develop a statement of purpose.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	16934-001	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Info Strategies for Health Professionals | ILS 49500

Andrea Hayes

So you want to go to medical school or veterinary school, or become a chiropractor, dentist, public health specialist, osteopath, occupational therapist, physical therapist, physician’s assistant, or get a PhD and do clinical research. Take this course to develop critical information skills to support your professional goals and prepare you for graduate or professional school. Show up on day one of professional or graduate school knowing how to navigate PubMed and other databases, differentiate between various types of research articles, and save and organize articles so you can easily locate them, “cite while you write,” and share articles with your classmates or research group.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
DIS	17632-004	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Research Peer Mentorship | ILS 49500

Amy Childress | JJ Sadler

This course is for current Purdue undergraduate researchers who want to learn how to serve as peer mentors to undergraduate researchers early in their careers. This course will train students on how to create mutually beneficial and productive mentorships. This course will provide research-based best practices for mentoring newer student researchers while developing as a cohort of new research mentors. This course is especially useful for those students who enjoy supporting peer researchers or plan to continue into more formal mentorship roles as a senior undergraduate researcher, graduate student, or research supervisor in academia or industry. Must be a current undergraduate researcher.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	25764-003	ASYNC ONLINE		1.0	Full Term

Critical GIS | ILS 54000

Melissa Chomintra

This course will provide students with a critical overview of the role power, culture, justice and injustice, and oppression have played in the practice and history of cartography. In this hands-on course students will learn the basic GIS skills and techniques that will help them understand place and space through critical theories of race, gender, sexuality, indigeneity, class, ability, colonialism, and the State. We will engage theoretical texts on mapping and social justice to identify how GIS and maps can expose and resist oppression and inequality. Students will apply critical theory through the practice of critical cartography to analyze a course-related topic of their choosing and use GIS tools to create an original project. Students will move away from the traditional research paper and engage with a digital research platform that enhances research impact and scholarship reach while applying such tools to interrogate the power dynamics contained within them. It provides the opportunity to serve as a tool for community collaborations in social activism as a shareable document. This class is designed to offer an interdisciplinary approach to place-based research and its connections to social justice.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	29479-001	T 03:00-04:15 PM	WALC 3045	3.0	Full Term
LAB	29485-002	R 03:00-04:15 PM	WALC 3045	3.0	Full Term

Introduction to Systematic Review for Health Sciences Disciplines| ILS 59500

Bethany McGowan

This course will introduce systematic review methodology of published health sciences literature. Students will learn to form research questions, develop inclusion and exclusion criteria, search for evidence, manage data, and assess the risk of bias.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	28239-002	MW 09:30-10:20 AM	HIKS G959	1.0	Weeks 1-8
LAB	28241-003	MW 10:30-11:20 AM	HIKS G959	1.0	Weeks 1-8

Medieval Mis/Disinformation | ILS 59500

Kristin Leaman

This course is designed to help you learn fundamental Python programming concepts, get introduced to the Python scripting environment within ArcGIS Pro, perform data visualization and advanced analytical skills using Python libraries for GIS and spatial data science, automate GIS tasks, learn to use version control with Git and practice basics of sharing code using GitHub. These topics will be taught in the context of solving geoscientific problems. The course consists of readings, quizzes, and laboratory exercises about programming concepts and techniques and a final term project. You will be encouraged to research concepts, examples, and content from online resources such as esri, stack overflow, GIS StackExchange, etc.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	32235-004	W 04:00-06:50 PM	STEW 142	3.0	Full Term

Geo Data Sci with ArcGIS&Python | ILS 59500

Gang Shao

Computational Text Analysis | ILS 65000

Matt Hannah | Gang Shao

Computational analysis of textual data has become increasingly important in the world of digital humanities, digital history, data science, and computational social science. This course provides an introduction to the methods, debates, controversies, and tools of computational text analysis (CTA) specifically crafted for the humanities and social science graduate student. Students will explore the central theoretical debates in CTA while also learning practical hands-on skills in corpus creation, OCR, text mining, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and other methods. They will learn how CTA relates to established interpretative practices in the larger histories of the humanities and social sciences and the broader context of their own disciplines, and will consider both the possibilities and the limitations of CTA in their own work. While the course is designed for a beginner with little technical training, students will become familiar with the basic elements of coding/ scripting using the programming language R and other tools. Upon completion of this course, students will understand the challenges of CTA, be conversant with major theoretical discussions around CTA, and have a foundational understanding of the steps required to incorporate CTA into their regular research practices and particular projects.

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TYPE	CRN-SECTION	WHEN	WHERE	CREDITS	WEEKS
LEC	29988-002	W 10:30-11:20 AM	WALC 3045	3.0	Full Term
LAB	29987-001	W 11:30 AM-01:20 PM	WALC 3045	3.0	Full Term