KV4007 - Computers & Society

You will learn through lectures, interactive workshops, and independent learning. The lectures will cover theory and techniques to provide you with a foundation in understanding the professional, ethical, legal, and societal implications of technology, with a detailed evaluation of harms arising, and techniques for avoiding or mitigating these harms. You will further your understanding during the workshops in which you will work through tutor-led exercises individually and in groupsw to critically assess both research and our own assumptions.

You will be supported by tutors during the timetabled sessions and you will receive formative feedback on your work and engagement with the workshop exercises. The University’s eLearning Portal offers remote access to all lecture and seminar materials to reinforce your learning. In addition, the university library offers support for all students through the provision of electronic resources and a detailed reading list for the module.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1 – Demonstrate an understanding of sustainable practices and technology within the relationship between technology and society
MLO2 - Demonstrate an understanding of the societal responsibility of computing professionals

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO3 – Find and use evidence to assess, and justify your standpoint on relevant topics
MLO4 - Discuss technological developments in computing in general and your specialization in particular and exhibit an understanding of their professional, ethical, legal, and societal implications

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO5 - Be able to identify where you can potentially make a difference in responsible development of technology

Knowledge & Understanding:
MLO1 – Demonstrate an understanding of sustainable practices and technology within the relationship between technology and society
MLO2 - Demonstrate an understanding of the societal responsibility of computing professionals

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
MLO3 – Find and use evidence to assess, and justify your standpoint on relevant topics
MLO4 - Discuss technological developments in computing in general and your specialization in particular and exhibit an understanding of their professional, ethical, legal, and societal implications

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
MLO5 - Be able to identify where you can potentially make a difference in responsible development of technology

How will I be assessed? (SRS 0006)
Please give details of all formative and summative assessment process indicating which MLOs will be addressed and how feedback will be provided.

There will be two summative assessments in this module.

The first summative assessment is a Group Assessment and will be a submitted 1-page advertising poster for an exemplar of a problematic technology design, with accompanying 1000 word critical overview of the design decisions made and marketing pitch. It is worth 30% of your mark for this module.
This assessment addresses Module Learning Outcomes: ML01, ML03, ML04.

The second, main, summative assessment will be a final case study where you will use the knowledge and skills you have learned throughout the module to identify what you feel is a societal harm/impact arising from a given technology, and/or opportunities afforded and how they apply to different stakeholders in your field of specialization where you could make a difference as a responsible computing professional, and how you would go about doing so. The word limit will be 3,000. It is worth 70% of your mark for this module.

This assessment addresses Module Learning Outcomes: ML01, ML02, ML03, ML04, and ML05.

You will receive critical constructive feedback on your assessments.
During workshops there will be formative workshop exercises and class discussions for which you will also receive formative feedback.
Programme (Level) Learning Outcomes that this module contributes to:
[Please insert PLO number as listed on the programme specification]

This Level 4 Module addresses the following PLOs as listed in the relevant programme specifications:

ALL programmes:
KU1, KU3
IPSA3
PVA1, PVA2, PVA3, PVA4.

N/A

N/A

This module will open your eyes to a range of the harms, opportunities and effects that the seemingly innocent development of technology has, and continues to have, on people’s lives and livelihoods. Indicative topics include: power, social movements, techno-solutionism, and the role of technology in enabling citizens to challenge power and resist authority; and approaches for the responsible and sustainable design of technology. Research-driven lectures are followed by practical workshops where you will engage in exercises to critically assess both research, given technologies, and societal attitudes towards technology. You will apply your newly acquired knowledge and skills in a research-driven assessment where you identify the main harm(s), stakeholders, and key debates in your field of specialization, and what role you can play as a responsible computing professional to mitigate them.