Brandeis University
Division of Graduate Professional Studies
Rabb School of Continuing Studies
Course Syllabus
I. Course Information
1. Course Name
Enterprise Content Management
2. Course Number
141RVTM-140
(Spring 2014)
3. Course Start & End Dates; Class Meeting Times

1/22/14 – 4/1/14

Distance Learning Course Week: Wednesday through Tuesday
4. Instructor’s Name and Contact Information




Name: Ian Rifkin
Email: irifkin@brandeis.edu
Phone: (781) 736-4216
Office Hours/Availability: available through email M-F




Name: Ari Davidow
Email: aridavidow@brandeis.edu
Phone: (617) 413-0425
Office Hours/Availability: Sundays 2- 4 PM; Tuesdays 7-9pm unless otherwise posted; available
through email
5. Document Overview
This syllabus contains all relevant information about the course: its objectives and outcomes, the
grading criteria, the texts and other materials of instruction, and of weekly topics, outcomes,
assignments, and due dates.
Consider this your roadmap for the course. Please read through the syllabus carefully and feel
free to share any questions that you may have. Please print a copy of this syllabus for reference.
6. Course Description

Catalog Description
The web is used both to present an organization to the world, as well as the primary access to an
organization’s internal knowledge management infrastructure. Organizations increasingly rely on
Web sites and web-based applications, to not only interact with customers, but also to support
staff. Content management tools provide the basis for maintaining organizational knowledge, as
well as tools for collaboration and engagement with an organization’s stakeholders, from staff to
customers and investors. This course covers the study and use of tools used to manage Web
content and the techniques to create a strong Web presence. Concepts addressed include how to
create, architect, and manage Web content including multimedia for maximum “findability” and
impact; review and use of Content Management Systems, collaborative tools such as blogs and
wikis, the “social Web,” and Web 2.0. Proven practices and strategies for content workflow,
management, implementation, and maintenance are discussed.

Relevant Programs
o Master of Science in Virtual Management – elective
o Master of Science in IT Management – elective
o
Master of Science in Software Engineering - elective

Prerequisites
Students should be sufficiently familiar with programming and the command line so as to
complete the practicum. Code examples are provided in PHP, but may be implemented in any
language useful to the student's own environment. Any of the following courses (or equivalent
knowledge) should provide sufficient background for the practicum part of this class: RSEG 102,
RSEG 103, RSEG 104, RSEG 120, RSEG 161, RSEG 180.
7. Materials of Instruction
a. Required Texts




Byron, Angela, et al. Using Drupal. O’Reilly; 2nd edition (April 2012)
Halvorson, Kristina. Content Strategy for the Web, 2e. New Riders, Berkeley, CA (2010).
Hoekman, Jr. Robert & Jared Spool Web Anatomy: Interaction Design Frameworks that
Work. New Riders (2010)
Rockley, Ann & Charles Cooper. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy.
New Riders (2012)
The following readings are available online (linked from LATTE):
 Azad, Kalid. "A Visual Guide to Version Control." BetterExplained.com. September 2007.
http://betterexplained.com/articles/a-visual-guide-to-version-control/
 Bredlau, Robert. "5 Ways to Improve Content Re-use." CMS Wire. August 6, 2009.
http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-cms/5-ways-to-improve-content-reuse-005189.php
 Broek, Anna Vander. "Managing Your Online Identity: You are who Google says you are."
Forbes. June 2, 2009. http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/01/manage-online-reputationtechnology-identity.html
 Conroy, John. "7 Challenges of Implementing a Content Management System." CMS Wire.
October 23, 2007. http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-cms/7-challenges-ofimplementing-a-content-management-system-001848.php
 Freedman, Rick. "A PM's lessons learned from delivering a CMS." Tech Republic.
December 15, 2009. http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-manager/?p=2665
 Goertzel, Karen Mercedes. "Introduction to Software Security." Build Security In project
(U.S. Department of Homeland Security). January 9, 2009. https://buildsecurityin.uscert.gov/daisy/bsi/547-BSI.html
 Library and Technology Services. "Content Management System (CMS) project." Brandeis
University. February 2006. http://lts.brandeis.edu/about/projects/cms/
 Newman, Henry. "Testing Backup and Restore: Why It Matters." Enterprise Storage Forum.
August 25, 2005.
http://www.enterprisestorageforum.com/continuity/features/article.php/3530166
 O'Reilly, Tim. "What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next
Generation of Software." O'Reilly Media, Inc. September 30, 2005.
http://oreilly.com/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html
 Ponemon, Larry. "The seven deadly sins of identity management." Computerworld. May 20,
2005.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/101893/The_seven_deadly_sins_of_identity_mana
gement
 Rapaport, Gil. "Preparing for disaster with an effective business continuity strategy:
overcoming potential dangers to your information infrastructure." Computer Technology
Review. April 1, 2004.



http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Preparing+for+disaster+with+an+effective+business+continuit
y...-a0118109207
Robertson, James. "Content reuse in practice." Step Two Designs. September 3, 2004.
http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_contentreuse/index.html
Schauer, Raymond. "3 Steps to a Successful Web Content Management (CMS)
Implementation." CMS Wire. February 11, 2009. http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-cms/3steps-to-a-successful-web-content-management-cms-implementation-003935.php
Sutton, Mike and Tym Moore. "7 Ways to Improve Your Software Release Management."
CIO magazine. June 20, 2008.
http://www.cio.com/article/440101/7_Ways_to_Improve_Your_Software_Release_Manage
ment
b. Required Software

None required.
c. Recommended Text(s) / Journals
Many of these texts are available from Safari, accessible via the Brandeis Library pages. There are
links to these texts inside LATTE. Additional resources are also available online (linked from LATTE)
 Anderson, Ross. Security Engineering, 2e. Wiley (2008)
 Chisholm, Wendy. Universal Design for Web Applications. O’Reilly (2008).
 Colby, John. Practical Intranet Development. Birmingham, U.K.: Glasshaus, Ltd., 2003.
 Crumlish, Christian and Erin Malone. Designing Social Interfaces. O’Reilly (2009).
 van Duyne, Douglas K., Landay, James A., and Jason I. Hong. The Design of Sites, 2e.
Prentice Hall (2007)
 Krug, Steve. Don’t Make Me Think: A Commonsense Approach To Web Usability, 2e. New
Riders Press (2005).
 Lloyd, Ian. Build your own web site the right way using HTML & CSS. Collingwood,
Australia: SitePoint, 2nd edition (2008).
 Marcotte, Ethan. Responsive Web Design. A Book Apart (2011).
 Morville, Peter & Louis Rosenfeld. Information Architecture for the World Wide Web:
Designing Large-Scale Web Sites. O’Reilly (3e, 2006).
 Porter, Josh. Designing for the Social Web. New Riders Press (2008)
 Tuttle, Steven. Using LDAP for directory integration. IBM, 2004.
d. Online Course Content
This course will be conducted completely online using Brandeis’ LATTE site, available at
http://latte.brandeis.edu. The site contains the course syllabus, assignments, our
Discussions bulletin board, links/resources to course-related professional organizations
and sites, as well as weekly checklists, objectives, outcomes, topic notes, self-tests, and
discussion questions. Access information is emailed to enrolled students before the start
of the course. To begin participating in the course, review the Week 1 > Week 1
Checklist.
8. Overall Course Objectives
The course is intended to provide students with an understanding of:

Types of web content and their uses;

The information architecture and metadata needed to ensure its findability and
accessibility;

Techniques to implement a Content Management System (CMS)

Tools and techniques to ensure privacy and security on the Web

Collaborative Web-based tools and Web 2.0 technologies
9. Overall Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:





Select, create, publish, and manage appropriate content to the web
Ensure that sought-after content, and the related items the visitors may not have known to
look for, are found by site visitors, as well as on public search engines.
Select and implement an appropriate Content Management System with the tools needed to
manage Web presence
Actively ensure personal and organizational privacy and security, as well as understand
relevant legal issues related to privacy and security.
Design Web-based systems that facilitate interactivity and collaboration via discussion,
group-editing, content-sharing, and ambient presence.
10. Course Grading Criteria
Given the lack of the traditional classroom environment, all student participation will be done
online via LATTE. Each week has a page that includes "Discussion Topics." These are a series
of questions or points to consider regarding the course materials posted that week. To earn full
credit for the Participation component of the grade, participants will be:



Respond to (at least) 2 Discussion Topics each week

Respond to the first question by end of day Saturday (midnight EST)

Respond to the second question by end of day Monday (midnight EST)

Specific questions and criteria will be in LATTE each week
Post (at least) 2 other substantive messages to the Discussions each week

Post by end of day Tuesday (midnight EST)

These may be replied within any of the week’s Discussion Topics
Posts should be substantive (beyond an "I agree" message)

Follow-on from your related experiences and/or from the readings

Follow-up with questions of others to extend the conversation (encouraged)

Consists of at least 200 words

Grammar/spelling/format/sources noted as appropriate

One or more days late: no credit
Thoughts on Discussions
These postings to the forums will be as rich as we make them; not having a traditional
classroom in which to discuss topics, we can have worthwhile conversations and share our
experiences during the ten weeks. The participation is required to encourage you to share
your knowledge and ideas while gaining from the experiences of your peers as well. You will
quickly adjust to the weekly requirements and become familiar with the review criteria. I look
forward to some rich discussions and getting to know you through these discussions.
Discussion Evaluation Criteria: Substantive on-time responses to the original discussion
questions and substantive follow-up posts earn 2.5 points each. A maximum of 10 points can be
earned for discussion participation each week, but additional discussion participation beyond the
required 4 posts is encouraged. Please make sure to post on at least 3 different days of each
course week (Wednesday through Tuesday).

Percentages earned per assignment:
Percent
Component
30%
Discussions/On-line participation
20%
Homework 1 (10% virtual team group grade + 10% individual
contribution grade)
Homework 2 (10% virtual team group grade + 10% individual
contribution grade)
Final Project
20%
30%
II. Weekly Information
Week 1
January 22 - 28
Objectives
Web Publishing and Content
At the end of week 1, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/ SelfAssessments

Enterprise Web Publishing and Content Management Concepts

Content Management vs. Knowledge Management

The “Information Lifecycle”
At the end of week 1, students will be able to:

Apply the concepts of Enterprise Content Management to creating
and maintaining shared information

Explain how the various forms of content currently supported by
organizations on the web contribute to informing and engaging site
visitors

Describe the “Information Lifecycle,” from content inception to
archiving, and the different management issues that arise at each
stage

Introduce yourself

Where is your organization now?

Summary

Rockley/Cooper, Ch. 1-6

Byron, Ch. 1

Week 1 Topic Notes

Additional recommended articles are available in Latte

Academic Integrity Agreement quiz (required of all Rabb/GPS
students in each class each semester)
January 29 – February 4
Week 2
Objectives
Creating Web Content
At the end of week 2, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes

Writing with a consistent voice, but in different styles to fit each area
of a website

Basic workflow and content planning

Multilingual websites on the world wide web

Copyright and intellectual property
At the end of week 2, students will be able to:
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments

Determine consistent, appropriate writing styles fitting where content
appears

Plan, create, approve, and maintain Web content

Maintain multilingual content and detect the likely language used by
a site visitor

Ensure that website content is protected by, and supports,
international copyright and intellectual property laws

Web content: Long? Short? Both?

Workflow vs. Endless Content Management

Summary

Halvorson, Ch 1-3, 8

Redish, Janice. ”Breaking up large documents for the web,” Parts 13 (2009)

Homework 1 available (see Homework 1 Assignment Details in
LATTE). Due at the end of Week 4.

Team charter (ungraded activity) due at end of week.
February 5 – February 11
Week 3
Objectives
Multimedia
At the end of week 3, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings

Types of media and ways in which each is used

Incorporate media into a webpage to enhance usability.

How content management concepts apply to binary media

Media servers and bandwidth requirements
At the end of week 3, students will be able to:

Deploy audio, video, and other media in ways that enhance a
website’s attraction and best convey information

Set up a podcast or videocast and upload it to their own website or
to YouTube

Apply content management concepts to set up and maintain a
multimedia library

Select and deploy appropriate media players, servers, and plan for
sufficient bandwidth to meet a site’s needs.

Use of multimedia and Universal Access

Should you build your own media player?

Summary

Chisholm, Ch 7-10.
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments
Week 4

Continue work on Homework 1 Assignment.
February 12 - 18
Objectives
User Experience
At the end of week 4, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments

The psychology of website usability

Applying basic typographic knowledge to the web

Paper prototyping and other means of rapidly designing for user
experience

What are “design patterns” and what are common design patterns
that make planning websites easier?

How to measure website use, and where surveys and in-depth
usability testing matter
At the end of week 4, students will be able to:

Analyze how a web page is seen by people unfamiliar with the site

Specify a page design from font to blocks of content that will best
serve the site’s visitors

Apply rapid prototyping tools and testing to develop and refine
positive website experiences

Use common “design patterns” to simplify and speed up successful
website design

Discover, monitor, and measure how a site is being used, what
pages and page elements work, and which need to be changed

Describe a website whose interface works for you. What is it that
makes the site easy to use and/or effective? What lessons do you
take away from what you have observed to apply in your own
website?

How should you measure website effectiveness? What are useful
goals? What are your Key Performance Indicators (KPI)?

Summary

Halvorson, Ch 10-11

Chisholm, Ch 1-2

Hoekman/Spool, Ch 1-2, 8-10

Recommended: Krug, Steve. Don’t Make Me Think. “Guiding
Principles” (Ch 1-5).

Homework 1 Assignment. due at end of class week (by 11:55 on
Feb 12)
Week 5
February 19 - 25
Objectives
Findability and Information Architecture
At the end of week 5, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments

Search Engine Optimization

Understand how search engines work, and the advantages of local
search tools over reliance on global search services such as Google
or Bing

Common forms of metadata and how they are used

Basic Information Architecture and how it contributes to findability
and usability
At the end of week 5, students will be able to:

Implement basic search engine optimization (SEO) by following
government accessibly guidelines

Select and configure an appropriate search engine for a site to
ensure that visitors find what they are looking for

Create an internal thesaurus and categorization schema

Create a site architecture that reflects the ways that site visitors will
“construct a narrative” in trying to accomplish their goals successfully

Folksonomy vs. Taxonomy?

Local search vs. Google and Bing

Summary

Hoekman/Spool, Ch 3-4.

Chisholm, Ch 3-6.

Rockley/Cooper, Ch 15-17

Homework 2 available. Due at the end of Week 7.
February 26 – March 4
Week 6
Objectives
Content Management
At the end of week 6, students will have an understanding of:

Use of content management systems for publishing content on the
web

The power and roles of Content Management Systems (CMS)

Web hosting choices

Web server environments (testing, production, etc)
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments
Week 7
At the end of week 6, students will be able to:

Determine an organization’s Web publishing needs

Evaluate if an organization could benefit from using a CMS

Evaluating web hosting and set up according to an organization’s
needs

Use Web server environments appropriately

CMS Products

Your site

Summary

Rockley/Cooper, Ch. 7-11

Lloyd, Ch. 8 (recommended)

Freedman, Rick (website)

Sutton, Mike and Tym Moore (website)

Continue work on Homework Assignment 2
March 5 - 11
Objectives
Dynamic Content and Collaboration
At the end of week 7, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings

Concepts of server-side code and databases

Content re-use across pages in a Web site

Collaboration using blogs, wikis, and file sharing tools
At the end of week 7, students will be able to:

Establish a plan for a dynamic Web site

Write content for re-use across pages

Interact with team members and the public through Web-based
collaborative tools (wikis, blogs, file sharing)

Dynamic Content

Static Content

Summary

Rockley/Cooper, Ch. 12-14

Bredlau, Robert (website)

Robertson, James (website)

O'Reilly, Tim (website)
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments
Week 8

Homework Assignment 2 due at end of class week (by 11:55 on
Mar 5)
March 12 - 18
Objectives
CMS Implementation and Migration
At the end of week 8, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments
Week 9

CMS product and vendor options including commercial, open
source, and custom products

Implementation of a CMS including staff and maintenance costs
At the end of week 8, students will be able to:

Write a requirements document for an organization’s content
management system needs

Create a project plan for a CMS implementation project




Requirements Document
Choosing a CMS
Summary
Rockley/Cooper, Ch. 18-20

Library and Technology Services (website)

Schauer, Raymond (website)

Conroy, John (website)

Final Project available. Due at the end of course.
March 19 - 25
Objectives
Privacy and Security
At the end of week 9, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes

Concepts of personal public and private identities as well as
managing multiple identities online

Concepts of enterprise public and private web presence

Content backup and version control

Legal issues
At the end of week 9, students will be able to:

Separate multiple identities, as needed, for work and personal lives

Decide appropriate content access levels and security control

Create a business continuity plan in regards to Web presence
Discussions (for DL)
Readings
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments

Personal Identity

Organization Web Security

Summary

Tuttle, Ch. 1.1-1.4 (recommended)

Colby, Ch. 1, 9 (recommended)

Broek, Anna Vander (website)

Ponemon, Larry (website)

Azad, Kalid (website)

Goertzel, Karen Mercedes (website)

Rapaport, Gil (website)

Newman, Henry (website)

Continue working on Final Project
March 26 – April 1
Week 10
Objectives
The Social Web
At the end of week 10, students will have an understanding of:
Outcomes
Discussions (for DL)
Readings

The technologies that became known as “Web 2.0” and how faster
interactivity on the Web changed how we use it

Organizational presences on social networks including benefits and
risks of maintaining an organization’s content on sites that are not in
an organization’s control

The social networking aspects of “Web 2.0” technologies and how
they can benefit organizations.
At the end of week 10, students will be able to:

Use knowledge of Web 2.0 to plan for future involvement on the
Web

Set up and maintain an organizational presence on social
networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter

Extend social network through tools such as LinkedIn groups to keep
track of changes in your field, and to find/vet potential recruits

Social Media Policy

Measuring the impact of Social Web activity

Summary

Crumlish/Malone, Part 1 + subsequent chapter openers

Halvorson, Ch. 9

Porter, Ch 1-3, 8 (recommended)
Assignments /
Assessments/
Self-Assessments

Final Project due at end of next week (by 11:55 on Apr 2)
III. Course Policies and Procedures
1. Grading Standards
 Work expectations
Students are responsible to explore each week's materials and submit required work by their due
dates. On average, a student can expect to spend approximately 9 - 12 hours per week, reading,
participating and completing assignments. The Assignment Tool/Dropbox within LATTE will be
used for assignment distributions and submissions.

Grades are not given but are earned. Students are graded on demonstration of knowledge or
competence, rather than on effort alone. Each student is expected to maintain high standards of
honesty and ethical behavior.
How points and percentages equate to grades
100-94 A
76-73
C
93-90
A72-70
C89-87
B+
69-67
D+
86-83
B
66-63
D
82-80
B62-60
D79-77
C+
59 or < E
2. Confidentiality
We can draw on the wealth of examples from our organizations in class discussions and
in our written work. However, it is imperative that we not share information that is
confidential, privileged, or proprietary in nature. We must be mindful of any contracts we
have agreed to with our companies. In addition, we should respect our fellow classmates
and work under the assumption that what is discussed here (as it pertains to the workings of
particular organizations) stays within the confines of the classroom.
Also, members of the University's technical staff have access to all course sites to aid in course
setup and technical troubleshooting. Program Chairs and a small number of Graduate
Professional Studies (GPS) staff have access to all GPS courses for oversight purposes.
Students enrolled in GPS courses can expect that individuals other than their fellow classmates
and the course instructor(s) may visit their course for various purposes. Their intentions are to aid
in technical troubleshooting and to ensure that quality course delivery standards are met. Strict
confidentiality of student information is maintained.
3. Feedback
Assignments and participation will typically be graded within 7 days of receipt. Participants will
receive a weekly feedback message within 7 days of the close of each week. The feedback will
be posted in LATTE and kept confidential. Your final (official course) grade will be posted in sage.
4. Course Schedule
Week
Dates
1
January 22 - 28
2
January 29 – February 4
3
February 5 - 11
4
February 12 - 18
5
February 19 - 25
6
February 26 – March 4
7
March 5 - 11
8
March 12 - 18
9
March 19 - 25
10
March 26 – April 1
IV. University and Division of Graduate Professional Studies Standards
Please review the policies and procedures of Graduate Professional Studies, found at
http://www.brandeis.edu/gps/students/studentresources/policiesprocedures/index.html. We would like to
highlight the following.
Learning Disabilities
If you are a student with a documented disability on record at Brandeis University and wish to
have a reasonable accommodation made for you in this course, please contact me immediately.
Academic Honesty and Student Integrity
Academic honesty and student integrity are of fundamental importance at Brandeis University and we
want students to understand this clearly at the start of the term. As stated in the Brandeis Rights and
Responsibilities handbook, “Every member of the University Community is expected to maintain the
highest standards of academic honesty. A student shall not receive credit for work that is not the product
of the student’s own effort. A student's name on any written exercise constitutes a statement that the
work is the result of the student's own thought and study, stated in the students own words, and produced
without the assistance of others, except in quotes, footnotes or references with appropriate
acknowledgement of the source." In particular, students must be aware that material (including ideas,
phrases, sentences, etc.) taken from the Internet and other sources MUST be appropriately cited if
quoted, and footnoted in any written work turned in for this, or any, Brandeis class. Also, students will not
be allowed to collaborate on work except by the specific permission of the instructor. Failure to cite
resources properly may result in a referral being made to the Office of Student Development and Judicial
Education. The outcome of this action may involve academic and disciplinary sanctions, which could
include (but are not limited to) such penalties as receiving no credit for the assignment in question,
receiving no credit for the related course, or suspension or dismissal from the University.
Further information regarding academic integrity may be found in the following publications: "In Pursuit of
Excellence - A Guide to Academic Integrity for the Brandeis Community", "(Students') Rights and
Responsibilities Handbook", AND " Graduate Professional Studies Student Handbook". You should read
these publications, which all can be accessed from the Graduate Professional Studies Web site. A
student that is in doubt about standards of academic honesty (regarding plagiarism, multiple submissions
of written work, unacknowledged or unauthorized collaborative effort, false citation or false data) should
consult either the course instructor or other staff of the Rabb School Graduate Professional Studies.
University Caveat
The above schedule, content, and procedures in this course are subject to change in the event of
extenuating circumstances.