Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2022 - CMNS 253W D100

Introduction to Information Technology: The New Media (3)

Class Number: 1137

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 7 – Dec 6, 2022: Tue, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 14, 2022
    Wed, 11:59–11:59 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Nine CMNS units with a minimum grade of C-.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An introduction to new communication/information technologies, seen as new media of communication: the technologies, their uses, and the social issues arising from them. Students with credit for CMNS 253 may not take this course for further credit. Writing.

COURSE DETAILS:

New media was supposed to be wonderful. We thought the Internet would deliver democracy, free speech and better information to everyone. But the same technologies also support authoritarian censorship, the spread of hate speech, the triumph of trolling. How can we better understand the human and social consequences of information technology, and how can we ensure that it leads to a better society?

This is a complicated question, because ‘media’ isn’t just Twitter and television. It’s also facial recognition tech scanning you for job applications. It’s microtransactions in your video games (and in games for 3-year old kids too). It’s deepfakes applying machine learning to put people’s faces on pornography. It’s your self-tracking wristband beeping at you to eat less and run more. We’ll learn how to understand and analyse media that is no longer just on screens, but is an entire background for our lives.

If you have any questions about the course content / setup during enrolment, I’d be happy to chat – just email me at sun_ha@sfu.ca

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This is a writing-intensive (W) course, focused on step-by-step practice on designing and delivering a research project. We will cover some of the big questions and approaches on how to study technology and new media. We will learn how to apply theory and research to big contemporary questions about fake news, algorithmic bias, surveillance, social media, AI, and more.

Grading

  • Weekly Attendance & Participation 30%
  • Writing + Research Mini-Projects 70%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

No textbooks required. All readings will be listed on syllabus & available online via instructor.

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html