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School of Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Systems and Control Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Information and Communications Engineering
- Undergraduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
- Common courses
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
- School of Computing
- School of Life Science and Technology
- School of Environment and Society
- 工学院，物質理工学院，環境・社会理工学院共通科目
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- First-Year Courses
- School of Science
- School of Engineering
- School of Materials and Chemical Technology
- School of Computing
- School of Life Science and Technology
-
School of Environment and Society
- Department of Architecture and Building Engineering
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering
- Department of Social and Human Sciences
- Department of Innovation Science
- Graduate major in Technology and Innovation Management
- Common courses
- Liberal arts and basic science courses
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Industrial Engineering and Economics
- Instructor(s)
- Seaborn Katie
- Class Format
- Lecture / Exercise
- Media-enhanced courses
- Day/Period(Room No.)
- -
- Group
- -
- Course number
- IEE.D435
- Credits
- 2
- Academic year
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- 2024/3/14
- Lecture notes updated
- -
- Language used
- English
- Access Index
-
Course description and aims
This course will introduce engineering students to fundamental theory and practice in the social, political, legal, and ethical implications of computer-based technologies. Through in-class activities, assignments, and reflection work, students will gain a basic understanding of essential concepts and theories, modern and historical cases, and guidelines for best practice. Key concepts include algorithmic bias, privacy in the social media era, digital communities, vectors of misinformation, the roles governments, companies, and ourselves play in infodemics, digital inclusion, and more. The main objective is to inform and encourage critical thinking in students who will be playing key roles in deciding, creating, marketing, governing, and disseminating computer-based technologies.
Student learning outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Describe the key concepts in society relevant to computing in the modern era.
2) Explain the roles of social, political, legal, and ethical factors in contemporary computing research and technology innovation practice.
3) Critically reflect on these factors in their own thinking, orientations, and practice within the contexts of their education, daily lives, workplaces, and future aspirations for the development of new technologies.
4) Communicate these reflections to others as well as collaborate with others to evaluate and debate praxis and case studies.
5) Extend this knowledge and practice to future coursework and beyond.
Course taught by instructors with work experience
| ✔ Applicable | How instructors' work experience benefits the course |
|---|---|
| An instructor with work experience in industry and research projects that interfaced with the public will provide education on the relationship between society and research practice. |
Keywords
Science and technology studies, computer ethics, design practice, critical thinking
Competencies that will be developed
| Specialist skills | ✔ Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
| ✔ Intercultural knowledge | ||||
Class flow
The first class each week will introduce the material for that week, incorporating interactive activities (e.g., hands-on demos, brainstorming, quick activities), individual reflection, and group discussion. Students will then be given a take-home assignment to be completed before the second class that week. That second class will start with a discussion of the take-home assignment and build on the material from the first class. Students will be expected to complete readings from the text and/or other sources before the next week of classes. Attendance is taken every class.
Course schedule/Required learning
| Course schedule | Required learning | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Foundational Topics: Key Factors & Critical Frameworks | Learn the expectations for the course, including frameworks of scholarship. Explain key concepts at a high level. |
| Class 2 | Intellectual Property | Explain what IP is and how it is managed, especially in the modern technosphere. |
| Class 3 | Free Speech & Individual Rights | Justify personal rights with respect to modern examples. |
| Class 4 | Privacy & Security | Describe common challenges and situations in cyberspace. Learn how to craft a research question. |
| Class 5 | Cyber Governance & Social Movements Online | Understand how governments and citizens can participate online. Understand how social movements use modern technologies. |
| Class 6 | Ethical AI & Algorithmic Bias | Describe ideas behind ethical AI and give examples of algorithmic bias. |
| Class 7 | Dark Patterns & Deceptive Design | Describe the variety of ways that user interfaces can deceive people. |
| Class 8 | Information Liberation & Misinformation | Discuss how misinformation occurs in technospaces in relation to the open information ecology. |
| Class 9 | Cyberwarfare & Surveillance | Explain how technology can be used to monitor citizens and attack nations. |
| Class 10 | Digital Inclusion | Explain the idea of inclusion with respect to modern technology, online and off. |
| Class 11 | Education in the Digital Age | Describe how computers and AI like ChatGPT have transformed education. |
| Class 12 | Automation & Lifestyle | Describe how computers have changed our everyday lives, especially with respect to automation. |
| Class 13 | Agents & Identity | Explain the concept of social identity and how it applies to computer agents, especially stereotypes. |
| Class 14 | Presentations | Demonstrate communication and critical thinking skills as well as understanding of key course topics. |
Out-of-Class Study Time (Preparation and Review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class. They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course materials.
Textbook(s)
Baecker, Ronald M. (2019). Computers and Society: Modern Perspectives. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Baecker, Ronald M. (2019). Computers and Society: Modern Perspectives. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.
Baase, Sara & Henry, Timothy M. (2017) A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal and Ethical Issues for Computing Technology (5th ed.). Pearson: Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Assessment criteria and methods
The main graded components are the weekly assignments (35%), a group project (5%+30%+15%+1%), and attendance (14%).
Related courses
- ESD.A402 ： Design Thinking Fundamentals
- ESD.B401 ： Engineering Design Advanced
Prerequisites (i.e., required knowledge, skills, courses, etc.)
No firm requirements, but a high level of English is strongly recommended.
