STAS 341.01

Information Technology and Society

Fall 2008

TR 9:30 - 10:45

ST 126

Instructor:	Dr. Gwendolyn Blue
Office:	SS306
Office Phone:	220 - 4845
E-Mail:	ggblue@ucalgary.ca
Web Page:	wcm2.ucalgary.ca/stas341
Office Hours:	By appointment

Course Description

This course explores the social, political, economic and material contexts and implications of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The intent is to move beyond polarized, deterministic and progress oriented perspectives in order to develop more nuanced ideas about the relations among technology, society and culture. ICTs will be approached as a type of new media, enabling us to make sense of the interconnections and divergences with historical forms of information and communication technologies.

 

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• Describe the history and development of information communications technologies (new media) in terms of broader social, political and economic contexts.
• Describe, analyze, contrast and evaluate perspectives covered in class.
• Create cogent arguments about the relationship between ICTs and society / culture.

 

Required Readings

• Flew, Terry. New Media: An Introduction. 3^rd Edition. South Melbourne, Victoria:  Oxford University Press.
• Supplemental readings will be posted on blackboard.

Assignments and Evaluation

Examinations                                                                                    60

 

             Midterm (25%)

             Final in class exam (35%)

There are two formal examinations. You are responsible for lecture material (including guest lectures) and assigned readings. Study guides are available on blackboard under ‘Course Assignments'.

Final project                                                                                    40                                                                          

This assignment involves researching and presenting on a predetermined topic. A more detailed assignment description is available on blackboard under ‘Course Assignments'.

 

 

It is the student's responsibility to keep a copy of each submitted assignment.

Note: Please hand in your essays directly to your instructor. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

 

Registrar-scheduled Final Examination: NO

Policy for Late Assignments

 

Assignments submitted after the deadline will be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each class day late. Exams are due on the dates indicated. Failure to present or show up for the exam on the indicated day will result in a grade of zero (0). Exceptions to this policy may be made in advance with the instructor.

 

Writing Skills Statement

 

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills. For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info. Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization. Research papers must be properly documented. If you need help with your writing, you may use the Writing Centre.

Grading System: The following grading system is used in the Faculty of Communication and Culture:

 

	Grading Scale
A+	96-100
A	90-95.99
A -	85-89.99
B+	80-84.99
B	75-79.99
B-	70-74.99
C+	65-69.99
C	60-64.99
C-	55-59.99
D+	53-54.99
D	50-52.99
F	0-49

 

Where a grade on a particular assignment is expressed as a letter grade, it will normally be converted to a number using the midpoint of the scale.  That is, A- would be converted to 87.5 for calculation purposes.  F will be converted to zero.

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense. Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text. A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself. Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin. This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

 

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS 106, efwr.ucalgary.ca) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237) and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of the course.

 

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/su

"SAFEWALK" Program -- 220-533

 Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance. Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot booths.

Ethics

Whenever you perform research with human participants (i.e. surveys, interviews, observation) as part of your university studies, you are responsible for following university research ethics guidelines.  Your instructor must review and approve of your research plans and supervise your research.  For more information about your research ethics responsibilities, see the U of C Research Ethics "Information for Applicants," sections 3.0 to 9.0, inclusive: http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/research/html/ethics/info_undergrad.html

Course Schedule

 

Date	Topics	Lecture Information	Readings	Assignments Due
Sept 9	Introduction	Entrance survey	Flew - Introduction	Bring syllabus and assignment guidelines to class
Sept 11	ICTs as New Media		Flew - pp. 1 - 19
Sept 16	Historical context	Modernity / Postmodernity Cultural technologies	Flew - pp. 20 - 38
Sept 18	Historical context	When old technologies were new - the case of the telegraph
Sept 23	Economics	Knowledge Economy Network society	Flew - pp. 40 - 59
Sept 25	Economics	Electronic commerce Creative economy	Flew - pp. 140 - 156
Sept 30	Governance	Internet law	Flew - pp. 200 - 216
Oct 2	Governance	Intellectual property and copyright	Barlow, J. The Economy of Ideas
Oct 7	Governance	Privacy and surveillance
Oct 9	Governance	Insurgence online
Oct 14	Exam review			Essay questions posted on blackboard
Oct 16	Midterm Exam			Midterm exam - in class
Oct 21	Virtual cultures	Avatars	Flew - pp. 61 - 79
Oct 23	Social networks
Oct 28	Digital media		Flew - pp. 83 - 99
Oct 30	Gaming		Flew - pp. 101 - 111
Nov 4	Education and knowledge On line		Flew - 158 - 176
Nov 6	Digital divide
Nov 11	Digital divide
Nov 13	Environmental concerns	E waste
Nov 18	Environmental concerns
Nov 20	New bodies?	Robotics / cybernetics
Nov 25	Bioinformatics			Final reports - due
Nov 27	Exam review			Take home exam posted on blackboard
Dec 2	No class
Dec 4	Course conclusion	Exit survey		Take home exam due