The class schedule is subject to change based on the needs of the class. Any changes in the schedule will be reflected here and, also, sent out in an email to all students.
Week 1 – May 6th to 10th
Monday
Welcome! In this course we are surveying different ways that we can make technology more inclusive. There are currently several bills or acts being championed (and not) regarding broadband access in the U.S. Government. We will start by looking at these and discuss the differences between them. By the end of the course you will be asked to write your own bill about how we should collectively approach future technology in an equitable manner.
In Class:
- Introductions
- Review Syllabus
- What is a seminar?
- The Telecommunications Act of 1996
Tuesday
Before Class Review:
- The Digital Divide: An Analysis of Social Stratification in United States Internet Use
- How Broadband Adoption Affects Community Prosperity and Opportunity
Wednesday
Before Class Review:
- Senator Murray introduces Digital Equity Act of 2019
- Digital Equality Act One Page
- Digital Equality Act Bill
In Class:
- Breakdown the Digital Equality Act
Thursday
Before Class Review:
In Class:
- Breakdown the American Broadband Initiative
Friday
In Class:
- Compare contrast the Acts
- Review Blog expectations
Due Before the End of the Day:
Week 2 – May 13th to 17th
Monday
When we discussed the concept of how to bridge the Digital Divide and make technology more inclusive it is largely discussed in two ways: access to hardware and the skills/access to software to create digital materials. In this section we’ll look at groups that are trying to bridge the Digital Divide in very different ways.
Before Class Review:
In Class:
- Virtual Reality Bill Project
- Play with One Laptop Per Child computers
Tuesday
Before Class Review:
- Virtual reality can help make people more compassionate compared to other media, new Stanford study finds
- It’s dangerous to think virtual reality is an empathy machine
In Class:
- Visit Don McMahon’s Lab — Meet in Cleveland 240
Wednesday
Before Class Review:
In Class:
- Talk with Ewurabena Ashun from Black Girls Code
- Participate in the Hour of Code
Thursday
Before Class Review:
- What is Universal Design?
- Global Accessibility Awareness Day
- CHALLENGE: Accessibility know-how needs to go mainstream with developers. NOW.
- Access Center Website
In Class:
- Visit the Access Center (217 Washington Building — upstairs from the Student Health Center)
Friday
No Class Meeting
Review on your own:
Due Before the End of the Day:
Week 3 – May 20th to 24th
Monday
In Class:
- Library Visit — Meet in Terrell 105
Tuesday
Everything that can be used to make the digital world more equitable can also be used to make it more oppressive. In this section we’ll explore how technology is being used for mass surveillance, population control, and to increase the power of large corporations and authoritarian governments.
Before Class Review:
- Taking power through technology in the Arab Spring
- The Role of Social Media in the Arab Spring
- Syria Caused Internet Blackout
- Raqaa is being slaughtered Silently
In Class:
- Discussion of tactics used in different countries during the Arab Spring in 2010
Wednesday
Before Class Review:
- How Dictators Watch Us on the Web
- The Internet Became Less Free in 2018. Can We fight Back?
- Planning Outline for the Construction of a Social Credit System
In Class:
- Social Credit Audit
Thursday
Review Before Class:
- Was the 10 Year Facebook Challenge A Way To Mine Data for Facial Recognition
- What Did Cambridge Analytica Do During the 2016 Election
- New Data: How College Admissions Officers View Social Media Applicants
In Class:
- Seminar Leader Assignment Reviewed
- Social Media Seminar
Friday
No Class Meeting
Review on Your Own:
Due Before the End of the Day:
Week 4 – May 27th to 31st
Monday
No Class – Memorial Day
Tuesday
Before Class Review:
- Net Neutrality| Free Press
- What Everyone Gets Wrong About Net Neutrality
- Why the Senate is blocking a new net neutrality bill, a year after trying to save it
- H.R.1644 – Save the Internet Act of 2019
In Class:
- Making Sense of Net Neutrality
- Is “freedom” on digital platforms good?
Wednesday
Before Class Review:
- What Is Gamergate, and Why? An Explainer for Non-Geeks
- A Message from Anita on the End of Tropes
- Tropes vs Women in Video Games
In Class:
- Gamergate Seminar
Thursday
Before Class Review:
- Keynote on Video Games with Never Alone Producer Matt Swanson
- Gaming Can Make a Better World
- Games for Change
In Class:
- Playing games from Games for Change
Friday
- Developer Diversity Changes the Way Video Games are Made
- Never Alone: Could a Video Game Help to Preserve Inuit Culture?
Before Class Review:
In Class:
- Video Games Seminar
Due By the End of the Day:
Week 5 – June 3rd to 7th
Monday
As technology evolves there are more issues of inclusion in digital spaces coming down the line. In the final section of the course we will look at some issues on the cutting edge of technology and discuss how they may help or hinder digital inclusion.
Before Class Review:
- Predictive Policing
- A New Report Shows the Limits of Police Body Cameras
- A Senseless Death – Episode 2 “The Red Light Camera”
In Class:
- Policing and technology
Due by the End of the Day:
Tuesday
Before Class Review:
In Class:
- Copyright Seminar
Wednesday
Before Class Review:
- The Pros and Cons of Moving to a Cashless Society
- We’re moving toward a cashless society, and lots of people are going to be left behind
- Inequality and the Cashless Economy
In Class:
- Cashless Society Seminar
Thursday
No Class Meeting
Due on Blackboard:
- Drafts of Bills due before 12pm
Friday
No Class Meeting
Due on Blackboard:
- Peer review of Bills due before 11:59pm
Week 6 – June 10th – 14th
Monday
No Class Meeting
Due By the End of the Day:
Tuesday
Individual Meetings with Ruth/Work Day
- Mila 12 – 12:20pm
- Zainab 12:20 – 12:40pm
- Melissa 12:40 – 1pm
Wednesday
Individual Meetings with Ruth/Work Day
- Bethany 12 – 12:20pm
- Felix 12:20 – 12:40pm
- Min 12:40 – 1pm
Thursday
Due in Class:
- Bill Presentations – Felix, Melissa, Mila
Friday
Due in Class:
- Bill Presentations – Zainab, Bethany, Min
Due by the End of the Day:
- Final Bills
- Any extra credit