1 Applications of Information Technology in Human Services Administration - Excel Course number: S W 393T 20 Faculty: Stephen Schottman Unique number: 66505 Office: SSW 3.104 Semester: Fall 2007 Office Phone: 512.695.1702 (cell) Meeting Time: TH 11:30 - 2:30 E-mail: [email protected] Meeting Place: SSW 1.214 – IT Classroom Office hours: TH 10:00-11:30 Website: See Blackboard Assistant Instructor: N/A 1. Course Description and Prerequisites This course emphasizes the value and use of information technology in human service delivery and management. Traditional methods of information management, dissemination, and exchange are reviewed with attention given to factors facilitating and impeding information flow in organizations. The course provides opportunities for students to gain proficiency in the application of general computer software, with a focus on Microsoft Excel, to address human service information needs and problems. As prerequisites for this course, it is expected that each student has: • Completed the basic statistical course required for admission to the MSSW program. • Completed of the School of Social Work introductory tutorial on using e-mail and browsing the Internet. • Set up an e-mail address for sending and receiving E-mail, either through the university or some other service provider. • A working knowledge of basic computer skills in either Microsoft Windows or the Macintosh system, such as entering data at the keyboard, using a mouse to click, double-click, and drag, and opening, saving, and printing computer files. If you have written a paper using a word processing program like Microsoft Word or WordPerfect in a visual environment like Windows or Macintosh, you probably have the expected prerequisite skills. 1 of 92 2. Course Objectives By the end of the course student will be able to: • understand the role of information and technology in both the management and delivery of human services; • understand how organizational, interpersonal, ethical, and cultural factors facilitate and impede the flow and exchange of information (i.e., formal/informal structure, hierarchy, organizational roles, the democratic ideal, and similar factors); • identify traditional methods of disseminating and exchanging information and their strengths and weaknesses (i.e., policy manuals, memo systems, staff meetings, training, MIS, organizational development, and other methods); • apply automated methods of information collection, dissemination and analysis (i.e., database management, report generation, spread sheet analysis, electronic mail systems, and other methods); • apply general-purpose computer software to such human service information problems as client information and tracking systems, information and referral problems, budget preparation and analysis, and related problems; and • analyze the differential impact of technology on diverse client and user groups. 3. Teaching Methods This course uses a variety of teaching methodologies to enable students to use computer software to provide information for human service delivery and management activities. Learning activities will include readings, presentations, lectures, guest speakers, web page design, and software training exercises. To understand and demonstrate information technology applications in human service organizations, each student will create a hypothetical human service agency by defining the mission, services, staffing, client group, and financial resources needed to deliver the services. A set of outcome measures for evaluating performance will also be developed. Simulated data, that meets the specifications defined for the hypothetical agency, will be processed and analyzed to support administrative and managerial decisions. Reports will be generated for different constituencies of the agency, such as a board of directors, prospective donors, persons seeking assistance, and the general public. The model human service agency can be based upon agency you are familiar with based on employment, volunteer experiences, or internships. The general 2 of 93 characteristics ascribed to the actors in the hypothetical agency should be realistic, but not actual persons. Even if real staff or client data were available, simulated data will be generated to avoid issues of confidentiality and violation of privacy. Microsoft Excel will be used to generate, manage, and analyze data. Reports will be created in Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint. A web site for the hypothetical agency will be created using Microsoft FrontPage. This course has been designed for a PC platform with a Windows operating system. All materials and screen displays use Internet Explorer, Excel, Word, FrontPage, and PowerPoint in a windows environment. The exercises and activities have been developed for PC's running Windows. Substituting for these tools may present additional challenges and frustrations to students. All of these software tools are available in the LRC computer lab as well as other microcomputer labs on campus, and all of these software packages are available to UT students at no cost beyond the cost of duplicating the CD-Rom containing the software. It is the instructor's conviction that technology is most effectively learned by actively using the new tool. The majority of course activity will be spent on the computer, using the software programs below described. All class handouts, syllabus, weekly learning guide, and instructional materials are web pages on the World Wide Web accessible through Internet Explorer. Correspondence between instructor and students will rely heavily on e-mail. 4. Required Texts and Materials There is no required text for this course. PowerPoint tutorials on the course web site will guide the student through the basic skills needed for each software package and assignment. In addition, each class assignment sheet will contain links to Internet sites that provide tutorials and examples of the computer tasks included for that week. All assigned readings will either be accessible through an online resource or on electronic reserves at http://reserves.lib.utexas.edu . Students will need access to Microsoft Office 2003 on a PC computer. Internet access using Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox is also required. All of these products are available to you for only the cost of the CD-ROMs used to distribute them. The University has