INF STD 20
Digital Cultures and Societies
Description: Lecture, four hours. Examination of social and cultural contexts of global digital networks and systems. Exploration of ethical, infrastructural, and political questions raised at intersection of technologies and cultures. Topics include data surveillance, algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) systems, digital economies and labor, social media revolutions, indigenous and non-Western uses of technology, digital media literacies, and more. Letter grading.
Units: 5.0
Units: 5.0
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Most Helpful Review
Fall 2021 - Honestly, not my favorite. I just took it to knock out a GE and it was the only one that fit in my schedule. I really wasn't interested in the subject but hoped maybe I would be after taking the class, but this isn't the case. Prof Srinivasan is pretty cool and has lots of good stories about his research and is really passionate about the material, I just felt that the class wasn't that organized. The readings every week didn't have much to do with each other, and were often too pedantic for a beginner to really track with. There was also a group paper, which I suppose may be better in a live format, but over zoom it was all but impossible to collaborate properly. There were lots of kids in my class that were super engaged the whole time and you could tell they really enjoy this field, so if that's you, this is gonna be a great class to take as a GE. However, for someone like myself who really isn't interested in digital literacy, cyber security, big tech, etc., there's probably a better class for you. There was also no sort of notes, powerpoint, etc--just prof talking and trying to cultivate a discussion with the same few students, so it was hard to stay engaged. Looking back, I can't really think of anything definitive that I took away from the class. So overall, it was fine, but I probably wouldn't take it again.
Fall 2021 - Honestly, not my favorite. I just took it to knock out a GE and it was the only one that fit in my schedule. I really wasn't interested in the subject but hoped maybe I would be after taking the class, but this isn't the case. Prof Srinivasan is pretty cool and has lots of good stories about his research and is really passionate about the material, I just felt that the class wasn't that organized. The readings every week didn't have much to do with each other, and were often too pedantic for a beginner to really track with. There was also a group paper, which I suppose may be better in a live format, but over zoom it was all but impossible to collaborate properly. There were lots of kids in my class that were super engaged the whole time and you could tell they really enjoy this field, so if that's you, this is gonna be a great class to take as a GE. However, for someone like myself who really isn't interested in digital literacy, cyber security, big tech, etc., there's probably a better class for you. There was also no sort of notes, powerpoint, etc--just prof talking and trying to cultivate a discussion with the same few students, so it was hard to stay engaged. Looking back, I can't really think of anything definitive that I took away from the class. So overall, it was fine, but I probably wouldn't take it again.
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