Student guide Faculty of Economics A.Y. 2008/09

The general learning objective of the course is to impart a specific understanding of the communication processes, occurring in both real-world and virtual situations, which are encountered in organisational, educational and working settings.

In particular, the course prepares students to handle the coordination of work groups in economic, social and technological contexts, by designing communications solutions based on modern information technology.

At the end of the course, participants will have the ability  to critically and knowledgeably assess the potential of new solutions, emerging from innovations in ICT, within firms, institutions and administrations.
The basic topic areas covered by the course are:

-- Theoretical, design and operational skills relating to cognitive processing in real and virtual contexts.

-- An understanding of the processes by which knowledge is acquired, organised, transmitted and used.

-- The design of relational environments which optimise the process of communicating and transmitting information within work groups.

--- The design of man-machine interfaces which assure good usability and accessibility of the systems.

The course covers the most recent developments in the field of communicating and transmitting knowledge within organisational settings. In particular, students will analyse the processes involved in acquiring, transmitting, retrieving and using knowledge.

The first part of the course will illustrate the principal contemporary models for describing the organisation of thought and memory. This will be followed by an analysis of the new approaches to studying memory.

Finally, students will examine user interfaces in web communications, and the problems connected with their usability and accessibility in multimedia environments. Special emphasis will also be given to the principal psycho-physical and neuro-psychological models of attention, along with an examination of the relationship between attention, consciousness and behaviour.

The course is based on study materials used by the Lecturer. The recommended reading is:

Alby, F., Tecnologie nella vita quotidiana, Roma, Carocci, 2006

Jakob Nielsen, Web usability, Milano, Apogeo, 2000

Purghé, Stucchi e Olivero, La percezione visiva,Torino, UTET, 1999

Girotto V., Legrenzi P., Psicologia del pensiero, Bologna , Il Mulino,  1999

Marucci F. S., Le immagini mentali: teorie e processi, Roma, Carocci, 1995

Giusberti F., Forme del pensare. Immagini della mente,Torino,  Bollati Boringhieri, 1995

Baddeley A., La Memoria Umana. Teoria e Pratica, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1995

Polillo R., Il check up dei siti web. Valutare la qualità per migliorarla, Milano , Apogeo, 2004.