Internet Meets Society

Subject UNIB10005 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 1 (Undergraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2011.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: 1 x one hour lecture per week, 1 x one hour “NetShop” innovative student experience per week. This will take one of the following forms per week: panel, interview, video, film, demonstration, podcast, and so forth. 1 x one hour tutorial per week. 1 x one hour lab per week (OPTIONAL)
Total Time Commitment: Estimated total time commitment of 120 hours
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Recommended Background Knowledge: None
Non Allowed Subjects: None
Core Participation Requirements: For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.
The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

Contact

Email: pbenda@unimelb.edu.au
Subject Overview: The internet is now a familiar part of everyday life. But what exactly is the Internet? What is it used for? And how is it implicated in the transformation of society, culture, community and even our own sense of identity? This subject examines these and other critical questions in exploring the complex interplay between the technical and social dimensions of the internet. Among the topics we cover here are the emergence of new forms of media culture, art, and commerce online, the nature and limitations of virtual communities and the implications for personal identity and intimacy, and the complex legal, ethical, and political issues which arise through activity on the internet. Tutorials and lectures will equip students with the knowledge needed to critically appraise the interrelations between the internet and society, and laboratories will be used to build basic technical skills. Students taking this subject will also have “hands-on” experience in participating in an online community
Objectives:

On completion of the subject graduates should:

  • Possess a critical understanding of the Internet as more than a technical phenomenon, but as a socially transformative and disruptive phenomenon.
  • Be able to provide a multi-disciplinary account of the interplay between technical and social phenomena.
  • Understand the broader ethical, social and legal implications of the Internet
  • Appreciate the open questions that remain in relation to, and conflicting theoretical accounts of, widespread Internet adoption and use.
  • Experience participation in an online community.
Assessment:

Compulsory participation in both on-line forums and in tutorials (20%) of which 10% is peer review and 10% is tutor assessed participation based on presence, quality, insight and constructiveness (a detailed template will be provided to students). This assessment will take place throughout the semester, on a week-by-week basis.

Two written assignments of 40% each. Students choose 2 out of 3 assignment options, each of which is equivalent in difficulty and required effort.

  • Each assignment is worth 40%, 2000 word equivalent per assignment
  • Students can choose to complete all three assignments, with the two highest scoring assignments counted towards their final grade.
  • The first of the assignments will be due mid-semester, and the second at the completion of the semester.
Prescribed Texts: There are no prescribed texts for this subject. Students will be given a reading pack, and extensive use of on-line resources will be made.
Breadth Options:

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills: On completion of this subject students should have developed the ability to:
  • Critically appraise the relation between society and technology
  • Entertain diverse and conflicting theoretical accounts
  • Work independently, and as part of a team and community.
  • Communicate in both written and verbal forms
  • Make appropriate use of primary and secondary sources
  • Manage time effectively
Related Breadth Track(s): Human Centred Computing

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